October 13 within the framework of the Program of official events of the exhibition "Golden Autumn - 2012м The II Scientific and Practical Conference of the Union of Potato and Vegetable Market Participants "Competitiveness of Domestic Potatoes and Vegetables in Retail Trade" was held.
Discussed at the conference topics were distinguished by their diversity. The conversation was about the forms and mechanisms of budget support for crop production, the revival of domestic selection and seed production, the development of technical regulations for potatoes and vegetables, as well as about problems and prospects for the development of the processing sector and a number of other issues. This program allows you to consider the event a success and multi-format.
Winemaking
The food security doctrine directively established that the threshold value of the share of domestic raw materials and foodstuffs in the total volume of commodity resources of the domestic market should be at least 95% for potatoes. According to statistics, Russia ranks third in the world in potato production. Last year, a record harvest of the second bread was harvested - more than 32 million tons.
According to physiological data, the recommended rate of potato consumption per person per year is set at 95-100 kg, which is about 14 million tons for the needs of the entire population of the country, excluding waste, seed stock and the needs of the processing industry. Thus, the production potential of domestic potato producers almost 100% ensures the country's food security.
In the current season, the areas occupied by planting potatoes remained at last year's level. If we consider the potato production sector by market participants, we can see that the overwhelming area of planting, 83% (1,8 million hectares), falls on households, 231 thousand hectares were planted in small and large format agricultural enterprises, or 10 % Unfortunately, the reliability of statistics on private farms cannot be verified, but experts say that in the future the share of private farms in production will decrease, and the needs of the population will be met at the expense of enterprises in the organized sector.
According to the operational data of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, on November 6, 2012, in the country's agricultural organizations, potatoes were harvested on an area of 226 thousand hectares, which is 98%, and harvesting is somewhat faster than last year. 89% of the planned harvested vegetables.
Organizations have accumulated 4 million tons of potatoes and 1,5 million tons of vegetable products.
At the same time, the yield of products in comparison with last year decreased for potatoes by 11 c / ha and vegetables - by 32 c / ha.
According to operational data, the regions of the Central Federal District prevail in the leaders in the procurement of products among the regions, the highest potato yield is noted in the Oryol region - more than 30 tons / ha. In terms of vegetables, the Moscow region is in the lead in terms of felling and the Vologda region in terms of yield.
With regard to the presence of imported products in our market, it can be noted that the annual supply of potatoes is 600-800 thousand tons, with the exception of the dry period of 2010 - 2011, when about 1,5 million tons of fresh potatoes were imported, amounting to more than 730 million dollars.
For the first half of this year, about 400 thousand tons of potatoes were delivered to Russia.
Major importers: Egypt, the Netherlands, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and China. Export of Russian fresh potatoes varies from 40 to 130 thousand tons. The main exporter of our potatoes is Azerbaijan (30 thousand tons, 72%, 2011).
Reclamation of
Insufficient attention is paid to the development of the agricultural land reclamation system as a guaranteeing factor for stable agricultural production in our country. If in China the share of reclaimed land reaches 44,4%, in India - 35,9%, in the USA - 13,2%, then in Russia at present the area of reclaimed land is 7,9% of the arable land. Provided by the State Program 2013-2020 a subsidy of up to 50% to compensate for reclamation costs is not effective enough. According to the experience of agricultural producers, members of the Potato Union, namely, they are the main stakeholders who invest significant funds in land improvement, most of the costs remain with consultants, designers and others.
There is an example of the Dmitrovsky district of the Moscow region, when the owners carried out major repairs, reconstruction, new development of land on an area of more than 1200 hectares, specialized machinery and equipment were purchased, all at their own expense and on their own. Not a single kopeck was received from the regional budget under the declared program. Significant sums were spent on design estimates and state expertise - from 12 to 16,8 thousand rubles per hectare! It is sometimes cheaper to build than pay service and project fees.
It is proposed to introduce a hectare subsidy. Agricultural enterprises can conduct construction and design for attracted or own money, and receive a subsidy for the entered land. The amount of the subsidy can be about 10 thousand rubles per hectare, which fits into the approved resource provision and forecast estimate of the federal budget expenses. This targeted support could serve as a motivation for increasing the amount of reclaimed land. The application of such a measure of budget support will allow to effectively develop land reclamation in vegetable farms and, no less important, to comply with the intended purpose, since real-use areas are subject to co-financing, and not included in the virtual statistics.
Storage
According to the agricultural census, in 2006 the capacity for the simultaneous storage of potatoes and vegetables was about 6,5 million tons, of which 4,4 million tons (67%) were in large and medium-sized agricultural enterprises. For the period from 2007 to 2011, storage facilities with a capacity of about 400 thousand tons were additionally commissioned. Thus, today there is a material and technical base that allows storing about seven million tons of potatoes and vegetables.
The specific conditions for state support of this area within the framework of the State Program 2013 are not yet known. The Potato Union of Russia will apply to the Ministry of Agriculture in the development of the draft Rules “regulating the subsidizing of interest rates on investment loans (loans) for the development of crop production, processing and development of infrastructure and logistics providing markets for crop production ”, provide for the possibility of obtaining loans for warehouse equipment, in t Ohm, including refrigeration, regardless of country of origin. And also to provide, in support of economically significant programs of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the field of crop production and the implementation of innovative projects in the agricultural sector, direct compensation for the cost of a ton of storage during the construction of new storage tanks.
Processing potatoes and vegetables
Traditionally, in Russia, potatoes are one of the staple foods. However, due to the low content of dry substances in the tuberous potato, during its long-term storage, losses are inevitable both from natural attrition and from various types of its diseases.
These losses, taking into account the lack of modern storages and the very frequent lack of opportunities for small and medium-sized farms to have such storages, can reach 25-30% of the volume of tuber potatoes laid for storage. The most effective way to drastically reduce losses is to process potatoes into potato products that have the ability to be stored for a long time (at least a year) while maintaining the nutritional and biological value inherent in tuber potatoes in the resulting product.
During processing, it becomes possible to use non-standard fractions of tuber potatoes, which are often not used at all. The volume of such potatoes can be 15-20% of the gross harvest of potatoes.
In the practice of leading European countries, the share of potatoes for processing ranges from 30 to 80%. Only 2% of manufactured products are processed in Russia.
In connection with the termination of the provision of subsidies and subsidies to processing enterprises, the quantitative and power potential of enterprises producing potato starch in the period 1990-1995 decreased by 5 times and only in recent years began to approach pre-perestroika indicators.
In 2011, about 35 thousand tons of potato products worth $ 31 million were delivered to our import market, and over the past five years, prices for imported potato starch have almost doubled.
One of the promising directions for obtaining potato products is the production of potato flakes. This is a very high-quality natural product that is widely used for catering in organized groups, including institutions that are fully state-owned. The use of potato flakes allows you to replace natural potatoes when organizing meals in remote areas, transportation and storage of flakes do not require special conditions, they are not afraid of negative temperatures. At the same time, one kilogram of potato flakes allows you to replace about seven kilograms of natural potatoes. In the process of preparation, mashed potatoes are obtained, in no way inferior to mashed potatoes prepared from fresh potatoes.
In Russia, there are currently five manufacturers of potato flakes. The total volume of production for 2011 is about 23 thousand tons. At the same time, today more than 40% of the total volume of potato flakes consumed in Russia is import. Flakes are imported mainly from EU countries. Thanks to the subsidized agricultural policy of the EU and measures to stimulate local producers, the products of importers have a price advantage over domestic products. In addition, due to earlier gaps in the legislation, for several years, imported potato products were supplied with a tax base of 10%, and for domestic processors the VAT rate was 18%. At the initiative of the Union members and with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, in May of this year, the regulatory framework was amended and the imbalance was eliminated. How will the market react to these changes? The result will be tracked and analyzed together with processors.
At the same time, in the context of joining the WTO, it is necessary to take another step in support of domestic processing - to reduce the VAT for them to 10%.
Breeding and seed production
The quality of products received for sale largely depends on the quality of the seed material. Potatoes, which go to network structures and for processing, are 99% grown from expensive imported seeds.
The country has virtually no domestic selection and seed production, while the existing regulatory framework does not allow development. So, for example, there is no concept and requirements for buffer zones for potato production, the number of generations and reproduction seeds of potatoes used in agricultural production is not limited, patent law. It is necessary to legislatively consolidate the creation of interregional selection and seed centers and determine the forms of state support. Participants of the Potato Union believe that the management of these processes should not be left to the subjects, the federation should determine the rules, and the subjects should monitor the functioning of projects and buffer zones. This may be specificity, but it is important for potatoes.
The State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia registered 318 varieties. At the same time, no more than 40-45 varieties are actively used in production. The most popular ten varieties are cultivated in 70-80% of the cultivated area, and the share of Russian varieties in it is only 30%. There are 167 varieties of Russian selection in the State Register of the Russian Federation, which is half of the total number of registered varieties, but of which only 20-25 varieties are actively used in production in different regions of Russia.
It is characteristic that in the domestic State Register 7% is allocated to the achievements of the Republic of Belarus, and they have Russian varieties occupy only 2%, Russian varieties are practically not represented in foreign analogues of our Register.By the resolution of the second scientific and practical meeting "Genetic and agro-technological resources for improving the quality of food and technical potatoes" held by the Potato Union in Moscow in March 2012, it was noted that despite all the difficulties and problems, our breeders annually create, patent and register in the State Register a number of new varieties of potatoes, and a significant part of them are of really high quality, and even surpass foreign varieties in a number of parameters. Domestic varieties have higher adaptive properties, resistance to drought, late blight and other diseases. However, scientific institutions often do not have funds for their commercial "promotion" and, what is especially important, the organization of their original and elite seed production, since there is practically no state funding for such seed production (this work is classified by law as a commercial activity).
Therefore, patents for new varieties very often become just “decorations” of reports of scientific institutions, and after a short time they quietly and imperceptibly disarm due to non-payment of patent fees.
It is simply economically unprofitable for a small number of seed companies existing in Russia, most often commercial and not organizationally and legally related to breeders and patent holders, to market themselves, to heal, to control the varietal characteristics of new varieties of domestic originators, which also need to pay royalties. It is easier for them to work with the already known, outdated and therefore generally available seed material of the very 10-30 most popular “branded” varieties. The weak development of domestic original and elite seed production does not cover the needs of large producers who are forced to purchase large quantities of seed material, usually of low reproductions, abroad and focus on growing foreign varieties.
Of particular danger, according to Union members, are the massive importation of huge quantities of seed potatoes from abroad, which may lead (and have already led) to the importation and spread of a number of extremely dangerous quarantine harmful objects and especially pathogenic and fungicide resistant strains in Russia and races of pathogens of diseases (late blight, bacteriosis, viruses).
It is important in the process of reforming the system of state variety testing and tolerance of foreign varieties and protection to preserve and strengthen the mechanisms for protecting the country's phytosanitary well-being. Laboratories are needed that can control changes in the structure of populations of pathogenic objects, especially their aggressiveness and resistance to pesticides.
An important element of state support in crop production until recently has been subsidizing elite seed production. Last year, financial support for the use of high potato reproductions was about 7 rubles. per kilogram, which amounted to 20-25 thousand rubles. per hectare. Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation is considering options for excluding subsidies for elite potatoes or reducing support to 2-3 rubles. per kilogram, that is, support will be 6-10 thousand rubles. per hectare.
In this regard, the Potato Union will ask the Ministry of Agriculture to provide in the “Rules for the provision and distribution of subsidies from the federal budget to the budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to support certain sub-sectors of crop production for 2013” subsidies for the acquisition of super-super elite, super elite, potato seed elite, and in further change the distribution of subsidies for the development of elite seed production, redirecting their receipt from seed purchasers to their producers.
Agricultural producers and retail prices
The establishment of a favorable regime for agricultural producers through the settlement of the issue of the share of domestic potatoes and vegetables in the retail market, namely the definition of transparent and uniform rules and requirements at all stages of commodity circulation, is one of the main factors for the future development of most market participants. Low cost and high quality are needed to compete with imports. In the winter of this year, according to research conducted by members of the union, 40% of the volume was taken by imports in stores, and by turnover, all 60%. Since domestic potatoes cost 10 rubles / kg, and imported 50-60 rubles / kg. It is more profitable for chains to do business with expensive imported potatoes, which are often of better quality, packaged and washed.
At the same time, there are enough offers from domestic suppliers on the market with similar indicators in terms of quality and other consumer indicators. It is noted that the prevalence in the supply volumes in the network is not of producers, but of resellers with the participation of persons directly working in the networks or on kickbacks with buyers.
Even during the period of mass harvesting, in retail chains providing large megacities, especially in the Central and North-West federal districts, half of the non-Russian-made potatoes are presented. Trading networks are more willing to work with imported products because of the high bonus component. In addition, retail chains use their own requirements for the quality and acceptance of products, which creates difficulties in the supply of products.
In August, the Potato Union monitored part of the trading networks of the Moscow region. At a time when farms in Moscow Region began mass harvesting, import carrots were dominated at a price of about 35 rubles per kilogram. At the same time, the average wholesale and selling price of regional manufacturers was 13-15 rubles.
According to the results of monitoring of the potato and vegetable products market conducted by members of the Potato Union in the first decade of October, the following was recorded: washed potatoes with a price of 80 rubles / kg prevail on the shelves of Moscow chain stores. Unwashed potatoes are sold at 50 rubles / kg. Imports account for about 17% of washed potatoes and 40% of washed carrots.
On average, in other regions of Russia, washed and unwashed potatoes account for a ratio of 50/50 and imported products are currently practically absent.
In Europe, since the 60s of the last century, the unified RUCIP regulation has been in force, which describes the entire set of rules and conditions for the trade in fresh potatoes and vegetable products.
In current contractual practice, European market participants stipulate only basic conditions (price, term, packaging), and the rest of the relationship parameters are governed by links to RUCIP.
Unfortunately, in Russia, retail chains use their own requirements for the quality and acceptance of products, which creates difficulties in deliveries. The Union of Potato and Vegetable Market Participants is ready to agree on such an agreement (regulation) with the Association of Retail Companies.
In addition, the Potato Union will contact the Ministry of Agriculture with a request:
- Introduce amendments to the Federal Law “On the Foundations of State Regulation of Trade Activities in the Russian Federation”, providing for the development and adoption of standards for interaction between agricultural producers and retail (in terms of requirements for product quality, logistics, implementation of technical regulations);
- To amend the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 15, 2010 No. 530 on the List of Certain Types of Socially Important Food Products (for the purchase of a certain amount of which an economic entity carrying out trading activities is not allowed to pay remuneration) in terms of supplementing it with products: potatoes in accordance with GOST R 51808-2001, beets in accordance with GOST R 51811-2001, carrots in accordance with GOST R 51782-2001, cabbage in accordance with GOST R 51809 and onions in accordance with GOST R 2001-51783;
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Include beetroot in the List of certain types of socially important essential food items, for which maximum allowable retail prices can be set (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 15, 2010 No. 530), as the only culture of “borsch” set that was not included in the above List .
The competitiveness of domestic potatoes and vegetables in the retail trade depends on the current situation on the country's potato market and is closely related to the results of such areas of activity in crop production as production itself, land reclamation, selection and seed production, storage and processing. Retail prices also affect the competitiveness of potatoes and vegetables. In order to maintain the advantages of the domestic product on the market, due attention must be paid to the development of the infrastructure of the potato and vegetable sectors.
Statistical data provided by the Potato Union of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation