Agricultural producers of two districts, Enotaevsky and Narimanovsky, today hosted the governor of the Astrakhan region Igor Babushkin. The head of the region visited the potato growing company LLC MAPS, peasant farm Andrei Talykov, and the Raskat fish farm.
Products grown in the fields of MAPS LLC are supplied to the largest processors: Burger King, Belaya Dacha. Potatoes are also purchased for the production of the famous brand "Lays" chips.
“This year the planting area has increased by 75% and amounted to 490 hectares,” said the general director of the enterprise Maxim Korolyov.
Almost all products are already contracted, so manufacturers are not worried about sales. Large concerns conclude supply contracts in advance, even before the crop is harvested.
The company constantly employs about 40 people. In the season, the number of workers rises to 60. Many production processes are mechanized, there is little manual labor. Therefore, there is a problem with qualified personnel. At MAPS, they are trying to resolve this issue. Workers are sent for retraining and advanced training.
The development of production is aided by participation in federal and regional subsidy programs. For example, almost all equipment was leased on favorable terms.
And the head of the peasant farm Andrei Talykov, manual labor prevails in the fields. Farmer grows vegetables and gourds. Almost 40 hectares were sown this year. Ripe tomatoes will begin to be harvested in June, young cabbage - in a week.
“We really do not have enough workers. Previously, labor migrants were invited, but now, due to the coronavirus, we cannot do it, '' said Andrey Talykov. "We need about 20 additional workers per season."
The head of the peasant farm says that attracting labor from the regional center is not cheap, a lot of money goes to deliver people. But there are not enough local workers from nearby villages - the youth are leaving, the old people remain.
In 2019, the Raskat cage farm in the Narimanov district raised about 300 tons of commercial sturgeon and received 6 tons of food caviar. Last year, product exports reached 2 tons.
General Director Olga Sabanchuk told Governor Igor Babushkin about plans for the medium term. So, until 2030 it is planned to increase the breeding herd of beluga, sterlet, Russian sturgeon to 3 thousand tons, to receive up to 35 tons of caviar and up to 400 tons of sturgeon meat per year. The expansion of production will create up to 800 new jobs.
“Despite all the difficulties that we are experiencing today, our agricultural producers are successfully coping with the tasks that they set for themselves, - said Igor Babushkin. - Now there are practically no labor migrants in the region. We compensate for this deficit by attracting workers who are laid off in crisis sectors and students. The harvest, the foundation of which we have laid this spring, will certainly be harvested. "