A modern Plant Genetic Resources Center has been opened in Western Ukraine. This scientific complex will ensure the preservation of unique samples of cultivated plants and their wild relatives. The new center is equipped with laboratories, office premises, drying and cooling chambers for comprehensive scientific work.
Its opening came as a response to the threat of losing the National Genetic Bank of Ukraine, which operated in Kharkiv and suffered damage due to Russian shelling. Dozens of thousands of genetic samples, important for food security not only of Ukraine but of the world, were stored there.
“The creation of this Center provides strategic security for the national collection and strengthens the scientific potential of our researchers. It’s not just a duplicate of the Kharkiv collection, but also a new scientific platform where technology, experience, and international collaboration come together. By preserving the plant genetic resources collection, you have preserved hope, knowledge, and the foundation for the future of the Ukrainian agricultural sector,” said Yurii Buchko, Deputy Head of the Lviv Regional State Administration.
To the new center, 51,000 samples from the collection evacuated from Kharkiv have been transferred. Lviv region is actively developing its own seed production. Today, there are 9 enterprises in the region producing high-quality seed material, and the yield of grain and leguminous crops has increased by more than 25% in recent years, and that of oilseeds by almost 30%.