Order No. 255 of the Ministry of Agriculture validating the Regulation for organizing the procurement, processing, storage and use of seeds of agricultural plants.

This Regulation establishes the procedure for organizing the procurement, processing, storage and use of seeds of agricultural plants. Agricultural plants shall be intended grains, legumes, cereals, fodder, oilseeds, essential oils, industrial, vegetable, medicinal, flower, fruit, berry crops, potatoes, grapes. Procurement of seeds is carried out in order to meet the needs of agricultural producers with seeds of agricultural plants for sowing, as well as for the formation of insurance and transfer funds of seeds of agricultural plants. The permissible shelf life of first-class seeds without a significant reduction in germination when deposited in seed insurance funds depends on the crop, initial quality, conditions and methods of storage and is for seeds: (a) spring wheat, spring barley, oats, buckwheat up to 3.5 years; (b) winter wheat, winter rye, winter barley up to 3 years; (c) rice, millet up to 2.5 years; (d) sunflower up to 1.5 years; and (e) soybeans up to 1 year. Certified producers of original seeds form insurance funds seeds in the following amounts: (a) for laying primary seeds - 100 percent; and (b) for laying super elite seeds – 50 percent. Carry-over seed funds are stocks of winter crop seeds of agricultural plants and are formed by agricultural producers independently in the amount of up to 100% of the need for seeds. Renewal of carry-over seed funds are performed annually.