Territory: 60 sq. M. km
Population: 643,3 thousand people, of which 72,2% are city residents.
Geographical position: in the south it borders on the Ivanovo region, in the west - on the Yaroslavl region, in the north-west and north - on the Vologda region, in the northeast and east - on the Kirov region, in the southeast - on the Nizhny Novgorod region.
Climate: temperate continental, with relatively warm summers and cold snowy winters. The average temperature in January is -12 ° C, in July + 18 ° C. Precipitation: 550-600 mm per year (maximum - in summer). The growing season is 110-140 days.
Relief: The region is located in the central part of the East European Plain. In the west, from the north to the south stretches the Galich-Chukhloma Upland. The spurs of the Northern Gorges, serving as a watershed of the Volga and Northern Dvina river basins, enter the northeastern part. Vast lowlands also stand out in the region: Kostroma, Unzhenskaya and Vetluzhskaya.
Soils: Sod-podzolic, light- and medium-loamy mechanical composition characterized by low natural fertility prevail: 68,4% of arable land is characterized by a very low and low humus content. The weighted average humus content is 1,9% (data from the text of the State program of the Kostroma region “Development of agriculture and regulation of agricultural products, raw materials and food markets in the Kostroma region”, 2018). Significant areas of land are waterlogged, swampy, clogged with stones. Some soils have high acidity and need liming.
According to Rosreestr, as of January 1, 2019, the area of agricultural land is 1964,5 thousand hectares, of which agricultural land - 859,8 thousand hectares (43,8%), arable land - 597,9 thousand hectares.
The agro-industrial complex of the Kostroma region is one of the most important sectors of the region's economy. Agriculture in the region specializes in crop production and dairy and beef cattle breeding. The share of livestock in the gross output of the industry is 56%, the share of crop production is 44%.
Potatoes are a traditional culture for the region, although not the most widespread. Nevertheless, according to Kostromastat, the region's self-sufficiency in potatoes in 2019 was 97%.
It is worth noting that the main volume of potatoes (about 87%) is grown on personal farms of the population. But since 2014, there has been a steady increase in the area under potatoes in the industrial sector.
The interest in culture among agricultural producers was supported by the Department of Agroindustrial Complex of the Kostroma Region, introducing the departmental target program “Development of Potato Production and Processing in the Kostroma Region for 2015-2017”. Thanks to this program, potato growers could receive subsidies from the regional budget for the reimbursement of part of the costs of the construction and reconstruction of potato storages, processing and packaging enterprises.
Gross revenues also generally increased, although in some years the final results were influenced by external factors, primarily weather.
So, 2017 turned out to be a difficult year, because of the rains, the harvesting campaign began three weeks later than usual, which could not but affect the volume of the harvest. But in 2018, nature was on the side of potato growers, and they harvested a record harvest - 38,5 thousand tons.
The main varieties grown in the region (according to the Potato Union of the Russian Federation, 2018): Meteor, Impala, Ma'am, Early Zhukovsky, Nevsky, Red Scarlett, Luck, Scarb, Pyrol, Gala, Valiza, Vega, Merlot, Kibits, Adret- that, Inara, Innovator, Wendy, Volat, Manifesto, Alvara, Safia, Belarusian Vectar, Yanka, Damaris, Zhigulevsky, Breeze, Zoraka, Uladar, Zhuravinka, Lilya Belorussia, Estrella, Dolphin, Molly, Lyubava, Krepysh, Aurora, Handsome, Blue, Nakra.
According to the Kostroma branch of the FSBI Rosselkhoztsentr, 2019 farms of the region are involved in the 66 harvesting campaign for potatoes.
Among the leading potato producers in the region are Viva LLC, Zavolzhskoye CJSC (this company also studies varietal specimens and produces such a promising and innovative tuber crop as Jerusalem artichoke), Suschevo LLC, Minsk LLC, and Mechta LLC ", Kostroma Potato LLC, Agro-Profi LLC, Susaninsky Nursery LLC, SPK Kolkhoz Rodina.
SEED BREEDING
The Kostroma region is a region that has all the possibilities for the successful development of potato seed production.
Among the advantages can be noted: favorable climate (sufficient rainfall, long daylight hours, moderate temperatures in summer); relatively low infectious background, lack of large-scale production.
An important role in the development of original potato seed production in the region is played by the Kostroma State Agricultural Academy. The Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, operating at the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Biology and Plant Protection of the KSAA, specializes in growing micro plants, greenhouse minicubers, as well as producing seed potatoes of the first field generation, super-super-elites, super-elites. Seed material is sold in the region’s economy (Susaninsky Nursery LLC, Agro-Profi LLC) for further propagation, and is also sent to customers from other regions of Russia (geography of supplies: from Arkhangelsk to Krasnodar). Each year, the laboratory produces about 150 thousand mini-tubers of domestic and foreign potato varieties.
Since 2015, an accredited laboratory for the diagnosis of potato pathogens began to operate on the basis of the branch of the FSBI Rosselkhoztsentr in the Kostroma Region, which was the result of serious efforts by the branch manager E.N. Shakharova. Since 2018, this branch has also been evaluating seed potato samples from various regions of Russia according to the soil control system. In 2019, the branch organized the production of greenhouse minitubers.
Elite seed potatoes are produced in the region by 13 agricultural enterprises. Most of the farms are located on the territory of the Kostroma, Susaninsky and Nerekht districts.
LLC "Susaninsky nursery"
Susaninsky District Head - Fedor Fedorovich Puzdrya
They have been engaged in seed farming of potatoes since 2012. Located in a very favorable phytosanitary zone. Every year, the company tests dozens of new varieties and hybrids of potato (for example, in 2019 about 100 varieties and about 50 hybrids of domestic originating institutions were cultivated and studied on the fields of the Susaninsky Nursery). Since 2014, is included in the Register of seed-growing enterprises of the Kostroma region for potatoes.
The company regularly organizes seminars for specialists in specialized agricultural enterprises in order to exchange experience and evaluate test results.
LLC Agro-Profi
Kostroma District Head - Sergey Kirillovich Bekin
The company was established in 2006. The main activities are: testing of promising varieties of potatoes of domestic and foreign selection; production of seed and ware potatoes, as well as vegetables. In 2014, Agro-Profi LLC began large-scale work to organize original and increase the level of elite seed production (in a more favorable phytosanitary zone in the Nerekht district, since, according to the mandatory requirements for crop seed production, it was necessary to isolate potato seed planting from food planting). Since 2014, is included in the Register of seed-growing enterprises of the Kostroma region for potatoes.
Within the existing state programs, Susaninsky Nursery LLC and AgroProfi LLC receive good support, therefore, regional authorities hope to maintain a high level of original and elite potato seed production in these enterprises.
PERSONNEL TRAINING
The training of mid-level specialists for the agricultural industry in the region is carried out by OGBPOE “Galich Agrarian College of Kostroma Region”, OGBPOU “Sharya Agrarian College of Kostroma Region”, etc.
You can get a higher education in an agricultural profile at the Kostroma State Agricultural Academy (Kostroma State Agricultural Academy) - a federal state budgetary educational institution of higher education. The university conducts training at six faculties: Agribusiness, Architectural and Construction, Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Engineering and Technology,
Economic, Electricity. Over 70 years of work, the university has trained about 40 thousand specialists.
SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT OF THE POTATOES INDUSTRY
Scientific support for the region’s potato industry is provided by the Kostroma State Agricultural Academy and the Kostroma Research Institute of Agriculture. In the future, we can expect a serious increase in such support, since the federal authorities decided to create a potato farm named after A.G. Lorch Federal Research Center (FIC) for potatoes, which by joining will include the Kostroma Research Institute of Agriculture in the status of a branch of the FIC for potatoes.
AH, POTATO, POTATO
Since 2013, an annual harvest festival has been held in the Kostroma Region, the main character of which, of course, always becomes the favorite potato of all. The festival program includes various contests (for the most unusual and largest potato; for the most creative handicraft of potatoes; for the most fun ditty about potatoes, etc.), performances by musical groups, cooking shows and a potato and vegetable fair for the population.