The potato fields were empty, the vaults were full. It's time to take stock. What are the impressions of the 2018 season for agricultural producers? Did you get a good harvest? What prices are current on the market this fall? All this in a traditional magazine poll.
Natalya Yachmeneva, agronomist of Rassvet-Novy LLC, Kaliningrad Region
58 ha under potatoes
- Cleaning was completed at the beginning of October, everything went well, we are also satisfied with the summer season, I cannot note any particular difficulties. Yield indicators for potatoes in our region are not very high, on average for the farm - 23 t / ha. We grow seed potatoes, we have one variety - Vineta, which shows excellent results in our region.
Dmitry Alexandrov, Executive Director of Agrofirm “Sovereign” LLC, Novgorod Region
65 ha under potatoes
- Based on the results of the harvest, I can say that our farm has had better years. According to general calculations, we got 70 percent of what we could. The main reason is not the best seeds, but the weather conditions also contributed. Summer turned out to be dry, there was not enough moisture. This factor did not hit potatoes so seriously (our average yield is 200 c / ha), but cabbage has suffered greatly.
Prices in the region are now slightly higher than last year, we sell from 10 to 13 rubles / kg, depending on the quality of the batch. In the summer, we managed to sell some of the early potatoes at 15-17 rubles / kg. It is not known what will happen next, we will not undertake to predict.
Vladimir Fetisov, director of Slavyanskiy Potato LLC agricultural firm, Kaluga Region
150 ha under potatoes
- The farm specializes in growing German and Dutch seed potatoes. This year the season was difficult, drought. Due to the lack of moisture, the quality of the tubers suffered. Although the overall harvest is not bad, our average yield is 250 c / ha - exactly in accordance with the plan.
Harvesting was completed in mid-October (late grades), autumn was almost perfect. Prices are not yet ready to discuss, sales have not yet been.
Vladimir Geyvoronsky, Director of Agro-Sib-Alliance LLC, Tyumen Region
200 ha under potatoes
- The season was not bad, although it started late for us: the landing started only on May 15. The weather prevented us from going out into the field, it was cold for a long time, then it rained. The summer passed without any problems, but due to the spring delay, all work dates were shifted. Cleaning began only on August 13 (in previous years - no later than July 29). The result is decent, the only drawback is the greater (in comparison with the usual) amount of small potatoes in the total harvest. The average yield is at the level of 200 c / ha.
But I can’t say anything optimistic about prices. A lot of potatoes were collected in the region, sales “from the field” are at the level of 6-6,5-7 rubles / kg. It’s more profitable to sell cabbage at the moment: they are ready to buy it at a price of 11 rubles / kg, and most likely prices will rise, as many farms refused to grow this crop this year, there are few offers on the market.
Mikhail Barachenya, Director of Source SK LLC, Smolensk region 180 ha under potatoes
- The cleaning was completed on October 10, the work was carried out quickly, the weather conditions were not complained about. Summer was also generally pleasing, the drought did not bother us, rather the opposite: there was too much rainfall in June. But the result was good, the average yield is 260 kg / ha.
Prices in the region, unfortunately, do not break records. We sell table potatoes at 10-12 rubles / kg, we also do not expect a special rise in seed.
Irina Ermilova, head of the farm, Ermilova I.P., Voronezh region.
40 ha under potatoes
- This year, for personal reasons, we were forced to reduce the area under potatoes (previously we planted 50 hectares), but we got an excellent harvest. The potatoes are of perfect quality: large, even tubers. The average yield is 25-30 t / ha, despite the fact that we grow in the conditions of the southern region without irrigation. It's a miracle! Many in our area and with watering, the result was noticeably worse.
The main secret of success, in my opinion, is the successful replacement of cultivated varieties. Last year, the harvest was not the largest, and we bought new seeds. The Colomba variety showed itself especially well, the potato developed, despite all the weather disasters, and no changes from heat to cool prevented it.
But there are no miracles with the prices of ware potatoes in our region, they have been at the same level for 15 years: 7-10 rubles / kg. It is very difficult in these circumstances to buy elite seed potatoes at 45 rubles / kg, the costs are not paid off. And if we also recall the prices for diesel fuel, fertilizers, plant protection products ...
While we hope that closer to winter, potatoes will rise in price a little.
Sergey Logunov, director of LLC "Agroplant", Omsk region
150 ha under potatoes
- The season was successful, we got a good harvest, but due to the fact that the spring was cold and the planting dates were shifted, the harvest also had to be postponed, which in our region is always fraught with risk. In October, frosts had already begun, snow fell, and they did not have time to harvest some of the potatoes.
Nevertheless, the gross yield this year is higher than in previous seasons. Grade Gala showed itself best.
The region is absolutely not satisfied with the prices for table potatoes, the situation on the market is ideally illustrated by the well-known saying: "A crop failure is a disaster, but a harvest is a disaster." Everyone has a lot of potatoes this year, the demand is low. Immediately after harvesting, some farms began selling their crops at prices below cost, from 5 rubles / kg. Since November, the situation has improved a little, potatoes have become more expensive.