One billion rubles - this is exactly the proceeds from the sale of 200 thousand tons of potatoes of the 2011 season are planned to be received in the Arzamas region. Imagine: if you load the harvested potatoes into freight cars, you get a train with a length of forty kilometers! Many even worked in two shifts to harvest the entire crop, using every fine day. The weather was also wonderful on October 7, when the first regional potato festival organized by the local administration was held.
If you go deeper In the history of the development of the potato business in the region, it will be noted that the Arzamas region has the most favorable conditions for the development of this industry. This is facilitated by the climate, and a developed transport network, and the availability of labor resources. Arzamas region produces about 150 thousand tons of potatoes annually.
“For us, potatoes are a food safety cushion,” says Nikolai Trofimov, head of the agriculture department of the Arzamas district administration. - Therefore, we approach the cultivation of this crop with all responsibility.
For example, only one of our regions is able to feed the whole of Nizhny Novgorod with potatoes. And this year they have gathered just a record harvest. We gradually and persistently moved towards this goal and now we have practically reached our maximum in terms of coverage of areas for planting potatoes. Although, in my opinion, this is not the limit yet ... "
Indeed, if in the past the Arzamas region was known for excellent onions and geese, now it is also known for potatoes. The local tuber is known far beyond the borders of the Nizhny Novgorod region, and the village of Vodovatovo is called the capital of the Arzamas potatoes.
“The main thing,” Nikolai Trofimov explains such popularity, “is to do something better than others. We have this - the production of potatoes. Undoubtedly, there are many problems and concerns, but we solve them, we try to apply innovations. So, starting next year, a new project is being launched in the region - primary seed production on a virus-free basis at the LLC Latkin farm. The equipment has already been purchased, the site has been prepared. The entire region will participate in the cluster in this project.
As a result, we will receive, on a virus-free basis, high-quality seed material for propagating the most popular varieties on the market.
The second step is to increase the number of potato storages. At the moment, we can (excluding private farms) simultaneously store 105 thousand tons of potatoes, next year it is planned to add another 15 thousand tons to this number. ”
Starting this year, watering began in the region, and in the future this topic will certainly be continued, since watering in the production of potatoes is extremely important. According to long-term observations of weather forecasters, the Arzamas region has already moved into an area with often repeated droughts.
Residents believe that one of the advantages of the potato business in the district is that it is family-owned in most farms. At the festival, every now and then one could hear from the residents coming to the stands that they are engaged in growing potatoes with the whole family, and each is responsible for a certain area: someone for the selection of seed material, someone for the choice of means of protection, and so on.
Not without pride, the head of the agriculture department of the Arzamas region noted that the constant introduction of new technologies, the creation of a storage base, so that potatoes would be highly profitable and competitive, also contribute to business development. And most importantly, there are talented people in the district who go one step ahead of the rest and show everyone in which direction to move. If you do not stand still, constantly grow, develop, then there will certainly be money, and investments, and modern technology, and new houses, and confidence in the future.
But it is ahead. And already at the festival one could try what it tastes like, the potatoes from Vodovatovo. Within the framework of the festival, an exhibition and competition of potato dishes was held with their subsequent tasting. In front of the tables there was a serious stir. Everyone wanted to not only try mouth-watering dishes, but also put their marks.
At the end of the tasting, all the participants were invited to the assembly hall of the House of Culture, where the awarding of participants in the agricultural exhibition and fair and the winners of competitions was held. The holiday ended with the performance of creative groups of the Arzamas region. The first potato festival in the Arzamas region took place! And did not disappoint its participants.
Well, our editorial office, in turn, hopes that such an initiative will be continued next year. And an even greater number of villagers, farmers, potato growers of the Nizhny Novgorod region will be able to take part in this festival.