MOSCOW, January 24. /TASS/. The Association of Subtropical Agriculture Development plans to showcase the first bananas cultivated in Russian greenhouses by the end of 2025, General Director of the association Andrey Platonov said at the forum on small agribusiness development.
The ministry is prepared to explore tropical fruit cultivation, including bananas, at an industrial scale if it proves cost-effective for both producers and consumers, Russian Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut remarked. "Yes, it is not part of the broader food security [program] but we have fruits and berries included in food security [initiatives] and we haven’t reached this far yet. If tropical fruits are grown in Russia and it proves efficient, why not? I think we’ll proceed with that," Lut said.
"We can confirm now that it is feasible. The greenhouse construction begins today. A program is established, and we are implementing it. If all goes well, we will present bananas grown in Russia," Platonov said, addressing Lut.
A relevant government decree is already in place, approving the list of agricultural products for cultivation and processing by agricultural producers, the minister noted.
"We’ve included wheat, barley, corn, apples, and pears there—everything essential for our lives. Hypothetically, any product can be added to that list. Our agricultural producers are now pushing to include bananas," she added.