“Numerous examples could be provided, yet when it comes to food security, following the collapse of the domestic breeding industry in the 1990s, there has been a significant increase in the number of local poultry farms engaged in breeding our very own meat chicken breeds (experts are aware of this) – ‘Smena 9’. This represents a tremendous success by Russian scientists and poultry breeders,” the president said, as reported on the Kremlin website.
The ‘Smena 9’ meat chicken crossbreed was officially registered in Russia in 2020. It is renowned for its exceptional productivity and gourmet flavor profile. According to Vladimir Fisinin, President of the Russian Poultry Union and a distinguished academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as he said in an interview with Veterinary Medicine and Life, the crossbreed boasts an impressive daily weight gain of up to 75 grams, marking it a remarkable achievement.
The newly established breeding and genetic center ‘Smena’, specializing in the development of cutting-edge crossbreed parent stock, commenced its operations in the Moscow region in September 2023.
The breeding and genetic facilities consist of a poultry farm dedicated to the raising and selection of young birds, two farms housing the adult breeding herd, a hatchery capable of hatching 26 million day-old chicks, and a temporary storage and processing facility for used bedding material.
According to Dmitry Patrushev, the head of the Ministry of Agriculture, there is a plan to increase the proportion of poultry meat production from domestic chicken hybrids to at least 25% by 2030. “And this will certainly enhance food security in our country,” said the minister.
