In 2020, Russian farms did not receive the highest potato harvest. The weather has prepared a number of unpleasant and very diverse (judging by the responses of the survey participants) surprises. Product prices were a good compensation for working in conditions of increased complexity. Although many farmers still consider the season to be unsuccessful.
Nikita Antonov, Deputy Director of Caspiy-Agro LLC, Chuvash Republic
120 ha under potatoes
- We estimate the harvest as satisfactory, harvested less than last year. There was a severe drought in our region, and we grow potatoes without irrigation. The average yield for the Koroleva Anna variety was 25-30 t / ha, for Red Scarlett - 20 t / ha. And the potatoes grew small. The prices for potatoes on the market are now very good, but problems with both quality and quantity of products hinder income generation.
Next year, our farm plans to allocate 250 hectares for potatoes, the products will be grown to order.
Alexander Pekunkin, Deputy General Director of Demetra LLC, Republic of Mari El
150 ha under potatoes
- If we compare the yields of this season with last year, they are certainly lower. Although this is not surprising.
We had an abnormal spring. After we planted the potatoes, tropical showers hit the fields. In the entire history of my work I cannot remember a case when it rained "like a bucket" for two days without stopping. The monthly precipitation rate has poured out. Result: soil erosion (we have a difficult terrain, holes up to half a meter deep were formed), and after a while the earth dried up and turned almost into concrete. In addition, the temperature dropped very strongly: from 15 ° to 5 ° C, and on some days it even reached 0 °. Nevertheless, despite the unfavorable conditions, the potatoes still sprouted, albeit later than usual. And the harvest has grown well. Of course, the average yield did not rise above 400 c / ha, but it was planned to achieve 600 c / ha, but taking into account all the circumstances, we are satisfied.
Harvesting was almost perfect, like all farms in the Volga-Vyatka strip, I think. The weather was very favorable. Last year, as a result of harvesting, the quality of our products suffered noticeably, and this year the number of non-standard products has greatly decreased.
The prices for potatoes are also encouraging: they started trading at 15 rubles, now they have raised them to 18 rubles. The only drawback: we buy equipment and spare parts for euros and dollars, respectively, this year the costs for these categories have grown significantly. This leap eats up a lot of what we earn.
Next year we are going to buy equipment, renew seeds, and expand the storage - there are many plans. But we will leave the area for potatoes at the same level. Most likely, in the coming season there will be more people wishing to grow potatoes, which means that prices for it will fall. We'd better work on quality.
Galina Antipina, chief agronomist of TNV "Mir" Yashchenko and company ", Nizhny Novgorod region
670 ha under potatoes
- Not a bad season. The average yield in our farm is 30-40 t / ha, the gross yield was 24 thousand tons. The main variety is the Belarusian white-fleshed Yanko.
Prices in the region are not yet the highest: 12-14 rubles / kg, I would like to be more interesting, but so far it is difficult to say how the situation on the market will develop.
We do not plan to increase the area for the next season.
Dmitry Kashkovsky, General Director of Agroholding Shilovsky LLC, Ryazan Region
150 ha under potatoes
- Unlucky year for our economy. I am very dissatisfied with the results of the harvest. In the region (as in many other regions of the country) there was a terrible drought, because of it, the harvest was twice less than planned. Harvesting was also difficult, the potatoes were severely injured, the quality suffered, and accordingly, it will not be possible to sell them at a good price.
It's hard to say what will happen next season. Perhaps we will stop doing potatoes altogether and switch to cereals. Fertilizers, plant protection products, spare parts, seeds - everything rises in price. Potato prices are unlikely to be high in the new year. You need to calculate the potential costs and think.
Igor Kartuzov, director of LLC "Potato", Sverdlovsk region
80 ha under potatoes
- The Sysertsky district, where our farm is located, is the southernmost in the Sverdlovsk region, it borders on the Chelyabinsk region, which this year has been severely affected by the drought. We faced the same weather problems. At the same time, in the areas located a little to the north, there were heavy rains, a number of territories of the region were flooded. We, for the first time in thirty years of work, suffered such large losses precisely from drought. The potato yield decreased by half from the planned one, 90% of the carrots died.
Our company specializes primarily in the production of seed potatoes, so we work without irrigation. Actually, the seed direction drew us out: the seeds turned out to be of the desired fraction and of good quality.
I would also like to note that we mainly grow potatoes of the Ural selection. This year we started testing three new varieties: Alaska, Terra and Legend, and they all left a very good impression.
For the next season, we have excellent seed material, the fields are smartly prepared. We have high hopes for 2021, although we are already experiencing certain fears: there was very little autumn rains, there is almost no snow so far, which means there is no moisture reserve in the soil. If the drought recurs, the company will find itself in a very difficult position.
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