Brazil’s Ambassador to Russia Visits PhosAgro’s Educational Centre at Timiryazev Academy
Moscow – The Ambassador of Brazil to Russia, Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares, visited PhosAgro’s Applied Research Centre at the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, where he learned about PhosAgro’s agricultural education projects.
PhosAgro’s Deputy CEO for Sales and Marketing, Mikhail Sterkin, guided a delegation of Brazilian diplomats on a tour of the centre, which features lecture halls, a phytology lab, a library and workshops for practical training.
The Rector of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Trukhachev, informed the delegation that in 2019 PhosAgro became the first industry partner of Russia’s oldest agricultural university. Opened a year later, the Applied Research Centre became the hub of PhosAgro’s ever-expanding network of educational centres. Today, PhosAgro operates educational centres at 21 agricultural universities across the country.
“PhosAgro is the Timiryazev Academy’s primary industry partner. It is crucial for business to invest in the future, in our young people. We are grateful that the flagship of our fertilizer industry is focused on the future. PhosAgro’s network of educational centres, which has spread across the country, began here, and it was here that a powerful impetus was given for the promotion of agricultural science,” said Mr Trukhachev.
PhosAgro’s Deputy CEO for Sales and Marketing, Mr Sterkin, stressed that PhosAgro’s network of educational centres, headed by its flagship centre at the Timiryazev Academy, provides the material and technical resources for its From Farm to Fork programme: “As we invest in innovative products for agribusiness, we recognize the industry’s need for highly trained professionals who are capable of integrating new solutions into daily practice. That is why, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, we launched the From Farm to Fork programme to train future agribusiness professionals and to offer farmers nationwide free access to scientifically sound information. The programme currently encompasses 47 agricultural universities, and we’ve also launched an online platform, Pro Agro Lectorium, which is continuously expanding.”
The platform provides students with access to a vast library of 420 video lectures covering agricultural science and agrochemistry, crop and livestock farming, innovation and digitalization in agriculture, economics and responsible farming. The lectures were developed with input from 58 experts across 23 fields.
University students can use the platform to access the latest knowledge in the field of agrochemistry and to gain insights into their future profession. Graduates can use the lectures to get a head start in their careers, teachers can update their knowledge and engage in self-study, and farmers can undertake additional training.
The platform also offers free continuing-education courses on topics such as soil health, plant nutrition and stress protection, as well as the digital transformation of agribusiness. The courses were developed by PhosAgro experts in partnership with leading agricultural universities, spearheaded by the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy.
“Pro Agro Lectorium became an international platform last year, as we launched English and Portuguese versions, specifically for our Brazilian partners. Pro Agro Lectorium has been recognized as an official educational platform by the Agribusiness Working Group of the BRICS Business Council. I am confident that, with the participation of our Brazilian partners, we will be able to play a pivotal role in ensuring global food security and advancing sustainable agricultural practices,” noted Mr Sterkin.
Ambassador Baena Soares noted that Brazil is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of foodstuffs thanks to productivity gains achieved by Brazilian agribusiness through the increased use of mineral fertilizers, a significant portion of which are supplied by Russia.
“PhosAgro has been a long-standing partner of Brazil’s agricultural sector. Russia is our main supplier of fertilizers, meeting about 28% of our fertilizer needs. These fertilizers provide essential nutrients for our crops, driving up our productivity. It is thanks precisely to these productivity gains in recent decades that Brazil has emerged as an agricultural leader,” stated the Ambassador.
Ambassador Baena Soares also underscored the importance of agricultural education and shared his impressions of PhosAgro’s efforts to train future professionals to work in the agricultural industry.
“I am very impressed by the work PhosAgro is doing to share its expertise and train students and farmers in agricultural practices. I was particularly pleased to learn that scholars from two leading Brazilian universities – the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of Lavras – took part in the development of the Pro Agro Lectorium project. PhosAgro is actively involved in training future talent, both offline – for example, here at the Timiryazev Academy – and online. Digital education gives people from all over the world an opportunity to learn about the latest responsible farming practices. I would like to congratulate PhosAgro on the success of its educational programme,” said the Ambassador.
PhosAgro’s Deputy CEO for Sales and Marketing, Mikhail Sterkin, guided a delegation of Brazilian diplomats on a tour of the centre, which features lecture halls, a phytology lab, a library and workshops for practical training.
The Rector of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Trukhachev, informed the delegation that in 2019 PhosAgro became the first industry partner of Russia’s oldest agricultural university. Opened a year later, the Applied Research Centre became the hub of PhosAgro’s ever-expanding network of educational centres. Today, PhosAgro operates educational centres at 21 agricultural universities across the country.
“PhosAgro is the Timiryazev Academy’s primary industry partner. It is crucial for business to invest in the future, in our young people. We are grateful that the flagship of our fertilizer industry is focused on the future. PhosAgro’s network of educational centres, which has spread across the country, began here, and it was here that a powerful impetus was given for the promotion of agricultural science,” said Mr Trukhachev.
PhosAgro’s Deputy CEO for Sales and Marketing, Mr Sterkin, stressed that PhosAgro’s network of educational centres, headed by its flagship centre at the Timiryazev Academy, provides the material and technical resources for its From Farm to Fork programme: “As we invest in innovative products for agribusiness, we recognize the industry’s need for highly trained professionals who are capable of integrating new solutions into daily practice. That is why, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, we launched the From Farm to Fork programme to train future agribusiness professionals and to offer farmers nationwide free access to scientifically sound information. The programme currently encompasses 47 agricultural universities, and we’ve also launched an online platform, Pro Agro Lectorium, which is continuously expanding.”
The platform provides students with access to a vast library of 420 video lectures covering agricultural science and agrochemistry, crop and livestock farming, innovation and digitalization in agriculture, economics and responsible farming. The lectures were developed with input from 58 experts across 23 fields.
University students can use the platform to access the latest knowledge in the field of agrochemistry and to gain insights into their future profession. Graduates can use the lectures to get a head start in their careers, teachers can update their knowledge and engage in self-study, and farmers can undertake additional training.
The platform also offers free continuing-education courses on topics such as soil health, plant nutrition and stress protection, as well as the digital transformation of agribusiness. The courses were developed by PhosAgro experts in partnership with leading agricultural universities, spearheaded by the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy.
“Pro Agro Lectorium became an international platform last year, as we launched English and Portuguese versions, specifically for our Brazilian partners. Pro Agro Lectorium has been recognized as an official educational platform by the Agribusiness Working Group of the BRICS Business Council. I am confident that, with the participation of our Brazilian partners, we will be able to play a pivotal role in ensuring global food security and advancing sustainable agricultural practices,” noted Mr Sterkin.
Ambassador Baena Soares noted that Brazil is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of foodstuffs thanks to productivity gains achieved by Brazilian agribusiness through the increased use of mineral fertilizers, a significant portion of which are supplied by Russia.
“PhosAgro has been a long-standing partner of Brazil’s agricultural sector. Russia is our main supplier of fertilizers, meeting about 28% of our fertilizer needs. These fertilizers provide essential nutrients for our crops, driving up our productivity. It is thanks precisely to these productivity gains in recent decades that Brazil has emerged as an agricultural leader,” stated the Ambassador.
Ambassador Baena Soares also underscored the importance of agricultural education and shared his impressions of PhosAgro’s efforts to train future professionals to work in the agricultural industry.
“I am very impressed by the work PhosAgro is doing to share its expertise and train students and farmers in agricultural practices. I was particularly pleased to learn that scholars from two leading Brazilian universities – the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of Lavras – took part in the development of the Pro Agro Lectorium project. PhosAgro is actively involved in training future talent, both offline – for example, here at the Timiryazev Academy – and online. Digital education gives people from all over the world an opportunity to learn about the latest responsible farming practices. I would like to congratulate PhosAgro on the success of its educational programme,” said the Ambassador.