Food independence and technological sovereignty of Russia in the vegetable growing sector

Relevance. The state of Russia's agro-industrial complex determines the country's national security, as it provides the population with quality agricultural products and raw materials, which affects state sovereignty. According to a number of analysts, in commercial vegetable growing, about 80 % of sown areas are annually sown with imported varieties and hybrids, and this is a vulnerability in ensuring the industry's independence and the country's competitiveness. Strengthening technological sovereignty in the field of vegetable production is one of the priorities of the state agrarian policy, as well as the main focus of scientific organisations and private companies. Results. Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Federal Scientific Vegetable Center (FSBSI FSVC) is a major scientific center of the industry, which can compete with foreign companies with its breeding achievements. The article shows the leading position in the breeding of vegetable and melon crops FSBSI FSVC, which actively conducts research on private genetics, biotechnology, contributing to the acceleration of the breeding process; varieties and hybrids are created that combine consistently high productivity, early maturity, resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors, high quality products with an optimal content of biologically active substances to obtain potential raw materials and products of functional action; development of resource-saving, environmentally safe, high-precision technologies for cultivation of vegetable and melon crops, taking into account species and varietal characteristics, as well as scientific bases and practical recommendations for production of original seeds taking into account zonal specifics. However, there are problems hindering the introduction of breeding achievements: the increased cost of registration of breeding achievements in the State Register of Selection Achievements of the Russian Federation of the Russian Federation, bureaucratic difficulties in their approbation, which arose for breeders after the adoption of the new law "On Seed Production". In order to solve the problems of seed production, the Ministries in charge of vegetable production have launched a sub-programme "Development of breeding and seed production of vegetable crops", which aims to increase the production of domestic competitive seeds and brings together the state, science and business.