The Academy for the Promotion of Subtropical Agricultural Production (an autonomous non-governmental organisation) intends to include Dagestan in the list of Russian regions with favourable conditions for the cultivation of tropical and subtropical crops, Andrei Platonov, the director general says.

In an earlier statement, Oksana Lut, Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, discussed the prospects of growing bananas and other exotic fruits in Russia. The top official highlighted the critical aspect of profitability as a primary concern, emphasising that it was a matter of economics.  «This is why Kazakhstani farmers choose to cultivate bananas, as it is significantly more cost-effective to produce them domestically compared to importing from Ecuador».

Lut explained that they had conducted a comprehensive analysis of the expenses associated with banana cultivation in greenhouses, factoring in the costs of gas and considering their capacity, which proves to be more advantageous than importing from abroad.

«In the foreseeable future, Sochi is poised to become the site for the development of the agrobiotechnological park «Subtropics of Russia. It is anticipated that an agreement for its establishment will be formalized on the margins of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2025» - Platonov noted. The necessary documents for the implementation of this project are currently undergoing finalization, including a financial model for the agrobiotechnological park, a comprehensive business plan and the project documentation.