Nizhny Novgorod Region and Belarus will cooperate in the agro-industrial sector.

      August 14, 2025 19:12 [230] Economy On August 13 in the Shchuchyn District of the Republic of Belarus, as part of the IV Congress of Small Towns of Russia and Belarus, a panel titled "Agro-Industrial Complex" took place. The head of the Nizhny Novgorod region delegation, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly Evgeny Lyulin, Deputy Chairman of the regional parliament committee on the agro-industrial complex and rural development Alexey Stepanov, representatives of ministries and agencies, members of the youth parliament and heads of agricultural enterprises took part in the meeting. Participants in the panel discussed the results achieved and prospects for further joint work between the Nizhny Novgorod region and Belarus in key areas of the agro-industrial complex.

      At the meeting it was reported that mutual trade in agricultural products and food is showing growth across many indicators. In the first four months of 2025 the turnover between the region and the republic increased by more than 25% compared with the same period last year. In the structure of Nizhny Novgorod's exports to Belarus, oil-and-fat products lead (45% of the total volume), as well as oilcakes, sunflower oil, frozen fish and much more. More than 25 Nizhny Novgorod agro-industrial enterprises actively supply their products to the Belarusian market.

      The meeting also noted that scientific and technical cooperation remains one of the key areas. Belarusian agricultural machinery has firmly taken its place in Nizhny Novgorod farms: its share in the region's machine-tractor fleet is about 40% (3.6 thousand tractors, about 400 combines). Official dealer centers of all the largest Belarusian manufacturers operate in the region, such as Minsk Tractor Works, Gomselmash, Bobruiskagromash and Amkodor. The volume of equipment purchases grows every year.

      The panel discussed successful practices in crop production, especially in breeding and seed production. Nizhny Novgorod agricultural producers actively test and introduce Belarusian crop varieties. Thus, the winter wheat "Elegia" successfully passed trials and was included in the Russian State Register in 2025. Spring wheat varieties "Vestochka 17" and "Znamya", as well as spring rapeseed, are currently undergoing trials. Two potato varieties of Belarusian breeding — "Pershatsvet" and "Garantiya" — were also included in the Russian State Register in 2025 after trials in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Belarusian-bred blackcurrant varieties are also widely used — in recent years more than 312,000 seedlings have been planted.

      "As the head of an agricultural enterprise, I come to Belarus not for the first time, and each time I cannot help but admire the scale of the achievements of local farmers. Their impressive successes are, first and foremost, the result of people's work, their sincere commitment to the cause, which I constantly observe here," noted Alexey Stepanov.

      Participants in the panel also visited agricultural enterprises in the Grodno region. Among them is Logal-Bio LLC — a complex for cultivating champignon mushrooms. It consists of 24 growing chambers with a total area of more than 17,000 m². The complex allows for the cultivation of almost 5,000 tonnes of fresh cultivated champignon mushrooms annually. Another enterprise was Dembrovo JSC, which specializes in the production of meat, milk and crops. The cattle herd here numbers more than 13,000 head, and the farm sells 70 tonnes of milk daily.

      "The agro-industrial panel in Grodno clearly showed that our cooperation with Belarus means real growth figures and concrete projects. Trade turnover is steadily increasing, our enterprises are ramping up supplies. Together we are creating new varieties of wheat and potatoes that have already been included in the Russian register. The agreements signed at the Forum of Regions between ministries, scientific and educational centers open new horizons for joint work for the benefit of the food security of our countries. This is practical cooperation that strengthens both the Nizhny Novgorod region and Belarus, and the entire Union State," emphasized Evgeny Lyulin.

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