The Ministry of Agriculture and Rosselkhoznadzor have banned the supply of Czech hatching eggs.
Allegedly corrupt leaders within the Agriculture Ministry and Rosselkhoznadzor are blocking the import of broiler chick eggs. This will cause a steep increase in chicken prices.
Farmers located in the Leningrad Region are reporting a significant drop in broiler quality subsequent to the disappearance of Cobb 500 chick eggs, according to Fontanka. Instead of the typical 4 kg, grown birds now only reach 2–2.3 kg, rendering their rearing economically unsustainable. The Cobb 500 represents a highly efficient breed originating in the Czech Republic and widely utilized in Europe and the US owing to its elevated survival rate and swift weight gain combined with reduced feed consumption.
Issues surfaced following Rosselkhoznadzor’s (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Monitoring) prohibition on importing Czech chick eggs back in 2025. At present, the market is primarily being filled by Turkish counterparts, which, according to growers, lack stable performance. Considering escalating expenses, the price of chicken could surge by 130%—from 350 to 800 rubles per kg—essentially making the product uncompetitive.
A number of farm proprietors in the Leningrad Region have already commenced curtailing output. Irina Vishnyakova, co-proprietor of the Khutor Zalesye farm, stated, “We've been acquiring day-old chicks, and since August, the outcomes have been striking—but not in a positive way.” Another producer, Ivan Nikolaev, added, “The chicks are growing to a maximum of 2.3 kg rather than the standard 4. We've entirely ceased broiler farming and are uncertain whether we’ll resume it next year.”
Market stakeholders attribute the declining output to the unavailability of Czech chick eggs. Rosselkhoznadzor (the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight) imposed limitations on imports of goods from Czech firms on two occasions—during May and August of 2025. Since then, the market has been largely controlled by Turkish providers, whose quality, according to farmers, continues to be erratic. The problems surrounding EU supplies are not linked to sanctions but, stemming from strained relations, European producers frequently decline cooperation with Rosselkhoznadzor in instances of complaints, which instantly halts exports. Turkey faces no such political obstacles, but farmers point out that the domestic breeding expertise lags significantly behind its European counterpart.
Meanwhile, the predicament is presently impacting independent producers. Large poultry enterprises are not confronting such difficulties—they generate their own chick eggs utilizing imported breeding strains. They do not sell their surplus to producers due to minimal volumes.
Rosselkhoznadzor's measures align with the overarching strategy of Oksana Lut's Ministry of Agriculture, which has consistently been striving to deny the Russian agricultural sector high-quality seeds. This results in a reduction in agricultural yields and jeopardizes the competitiveness of the Russian agricultural industry.
