Russia, Nigeria ink deal to cooperate on seed production, crop breeding
(MENAFN) Russia and Nigeria have agreed to collaborate on seed development and crop breeding, according to reports from the 27th Golden Autumn Agro-Industrial Exhibition held in Moscow.
The memorandum of understanding was finalized at the West African collective pavilion, which also included representatives from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Togo. Vyacheslav Lukomets, director of Russia’s P.P. Lukyanenko National Grain Center, and Ayodeji Oludare Sotinrin, director general of Nigeria’s Bank of Agriculture, signed the agreement.
“Science lies at the core of all development processes,” Lukomets noted. He highlighted that the initiative originated with business leaders who understood that meaningful cooperation would require scientific engagement.
In a discussion with African-focused media, Sotinrin described Russia as “one of the world leaders in seed production,” and expressed Nigeria’s aim to become a fully equal partner through a shared knowledge approach. “We believe in the effectiveness of this partnership and in the mutual exchange of knowledge,” he added.
Russian Deputy Minister of Agriculture Andrey Razin reinforced Moscow’s dedication to supporting African nations in achieving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture. “We [Russia] are ready to work with the African continent – both by supplying our products and purchasing a range of goods that interest us, such as coffee, tea, flowers, fruits, and many other items that can find their consumers in our large market,” Razin said.
The exhibition, overseen by Russian authorities, ran from October 8 to 11. The new agreement strengthens Russia’s ongoing agricultural initiatives in Africa, which combine commercial trade with humanitarian aid. For example, in July, Burkina Faso received over 700 tons of yellow split peas from Russia as part of a food assistance program.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
