From the magazine: No. 4 2016
Category: Specialist consultations
Vadim Kuvshinov, Director of Agrosave LLC
According to statistics, carrot production has increased significantly in Russia over the past two years. The reasons for the increased attention to the product from agricultural producers are clear: carrots are a more expensive root crop (compared to potatoes) and not as widespread. If there is a guaranteed sales market, a “carrot project” can be very profitable, and all investments will pay off in just one or two seasons. Of course, provided that its implementation will be carried out by professionals and no serious mistakes will be made at the start, including during the construction and equipping of the storage facility.
Storage according to the rules
It makes no sense to consider all types of storage facilities that are used in Russia to store carrots. You can find cases where carrots are placed in the same room as seed potatoes (the storage temperature differs by just a couple of degrees), and sometimes they are stored in bulk together with ware potatoes and beets. There may be many options, but it is important to understand that all artisanal methods are acceptable only at the initial stage and for a very limited period: 2-3 months. Even at close storage temperatures, the key is the cooling rate; for potatoes it is 0,5 degrees per day, and for carrots it can exceed 20 degrees per day.
Experience shows that carrots are best stored in refrigerated warehouses (optimal temperature: 0° - 0,5°), in containers, at a constant humidity level (about 95%), with air mass ventilation and CO2 level regulation. In practice, not everyone manages to organize such a regime for products - for a variety of reasons.
Let's start with the fact that implementing a project to build and equip a turnkey carrot storage facility is a very expensive undertaking.
Counting money
What does expensive mean in this context? Design and construction of a frame building (since we are talking about container storage and a refrigerator), which will have to meet the necessary requirements for thermal insulation. Supply of electricity (at least 400 kW for an average facility), purchase of wooden ventilated containers (4 thousand containers, on average, will cost 10 million rubles). Equipping with modern equipment – 0,5 million euros. Costs for the entire facility (for 3 thousand tons of products) are about 100 million rubles.
Is it possible to reduce costs? Of course, yes, a rational approach is the basis of success, but there are points on which you definitely should not skimp.
Miser pays twice
Very often, when considering commercial offers from various companies, a potential customer seeks to choose the most profitable (as it seems at first glance) option for himself, without reading into the details and without delving into how the savings were achieved. And he falls into a trap, or even several at once. Let's look at the most typical ones.
Refrigeration equipment power. According to the technology, the entire batch of dug carrots must be cooled to 0° within XNUMX hours.
In Israel, for such a sharp change in temperature, the cold bath method is used, when the products are immersed in containers with ice-cold artesian water. In our country, due to the peculiarities of the climate, this method has not taken root, and the problem is solved using a refrigeration unit, but success is achieved only if the power of the equipment corresponds to the volume of refrigerated products. I have seen examples where refrigerators were purchased “slightly under-spec” because it was cheaper and helped reduce energy and operating costs. As a result, excellent capital buildings did not fulfill their function: the equipment could not maintain the required temperature, carrots were not stored.
Humidification system. In conditions of low humidity (typical of rooms without access to air from the street), root crops begin to quickly lose moisture, and therefore their presentation and weight. Humidification systems help avoid this. But “economy class” equipment has a significant drawback, which quickly manifests itself when used in a refrigerator: water begins to freeze in the pipes and nozzles, and ice forms. It’s difficult to deal with this; if pipes can theoretically be insulated, it’s not clear how to insulate thin nozzles.
Hack and predictor Aviator CO2. This is a very complex and controversial issue. As you know, during storage, root vegetables emit carbon dioxide. When there is more carbon dioxide in the air than oxygen, carrots begin to spoil. It is obvious that the concentration of carbon dioxide must be monitored and regularly reduced. But a refrigerated warehouse is a sealed room in which it is impossible to “cut” ventilation holes to the outside: otherwise it will be impossible to maintain the desired temperature in the room. There are several options for professional solutions to the gas problem on the market, but they are all quite expensive. Storage owners, not wanting to incur extra costs, often solve the issue using budgetary methods: for example, by creating exhaust valves with access to corridors or office spaces. In reality, this is not very effective, not to mention the fact that no one wants increased carbon dioxide levels in office buildings.
Deadlines
When planning a serious project to build and equip a vegetable storage facility, the customer must have not only funds, but also time. All activities related to the design and construction of a building, installation of communications, calculations, delivery and commissioning of equipment take months. This period may be extended due to natural disasters (it is very difficult to build during the spring thaw or prolonged rains), problems at customs and other troubles.
If work on the construction of the building actually began at the end of May, there is a very high probability that by the start of harvesting the storage facility will not be ready to receive products, even taking into account the fact that carrots begin to be collected in mid-September.
Selecting a contractor
There are many proposals on the market for the construction and equipment of vegetable storage facilities. But the customer must, from the very beginning, determine for himself what he wants to get: a cheap project or an efficient storage facility, save money now or save a lot of money, nerves and products later. It is very difficult and often impossible to correct what amateurs have done.
The choice should be made in favor of those who already have experience in implementing successful projects, who are ready to help in debugging and operating equipment and are not afraid to take on part of the responsibility for the safety of products.
The average cost of carrots on the wholesale market from autumn to spring ranges from 15 to 50 rubles. Even in good years, it maintains a high price and provides profit to those who know how to grow and especially to those who know how to store the harvest well. Even taking into account the costs that so much has been said above.