Dear Readers! In this issue we continue the story about the work of the AgroAlliance-NN farm (Nizhny Novgorod region), which specializes in the production of seed potatoes of high reproductive European varieties (seed material is supplied by RusEuroplant JSC and HZPC Sadokas). This time it will be about summing up the results of the season.
Kirill Kraev, specialist of AgroAlliance-NN LLC
In the last issue of the journal, we completed the review at the stage of sending the seed material for analysis. Samples of all consignments were delivered to the Potato Quality Control Laboratory (Samara Region). By mid-November, the results were ready.
According to research, seed potatoes of LLC AgroAlliance-NN fully met the requirements of GOST: the virus content ranged from 0 to 2,9%; latent bacterial infection was absent. Our specialists could fully offer seeds to consumers.
HARVEST IMPLEMENTATION
It is worth noting that this year the market has developed a very favorable situation for Russian producers of seed potatoes. Many seed growers noted an increased demand for their products literally from the first days of autumn, calls from potential buyers began to arrive even before the end of the harvest.
The growing popularity of domestic seed material is largely due to the significant increase in the price of imported seeds (on average, European seed potatoes are currently sold on the market at 1,15-1,2 euro / kg). The reason for the “price rise” has already been repeatedly written in all professional sources: large-scale drought caused serious damage to most European countries specializing in the cultivation of seed potatoes, producers did not receive more than 30% of the crop, and therefore a severe shortage of seeds appeared on the market, and prices naturally have grown.
Against this background, many agricultural producers have opted for Russian-made seed material.
Most of the seed potatoes grown in LLC AgroAlliance-NN were sold in November-December last year. The entire volume of seeds of Colomba, Colette and Madeira varieties was reserved within a month after the end of the Golden Autumn exhibition, at which prices for our products were announced.
By the beginning of February 2019, our enterprise is at the stage of completion of sales: managers of the Agrotrade Company together with specialists HZPC Sadokas and JSC RusEuroplant sold over 70% of our harvest. Currently, there are small batches of seeds of the varieties Red Scarlett, Bernina and Red Sonja.
STORAGE
The first shipment of seeds to customers in our farm begins in mid-February. Up to this point, all seed material is in storage.
AgroAlliance-NN LLC has two arch-type storages equipped with IVI ventilation systems. We organized the laying of products in such a way that in the same room there is potatoes grown from seed supplied HZPC Sadokas, in the other - potatoes grown from seed material supplied by JSC RusEuroplant. Seed storage is carried out in bulk.
This year, to make the shipment process in the cold season more convenient, we added a logistics module to the arch complexes, in which sorting, calibration and packing of seed lots will be carried out. At the time of writing (early February), work on the interior decoration of the premises is ending here.
Our company has been actively preparing for shipments since the beginning of the new year. Warehouse equipment checks were organized, the necessary consumables were delivered: pallets, mesh bags, big bags, labels - all this will be necessary for the correct formation of one batch of seeds for one client.
In parallel with this activity, we keep the state of the seed material under strict control. Inspection bodies take an important part in this area of work.
For the current season, we have twice confirmed the high quality of our products. The first audit was organized by the Rosselkhoznadzor Office in the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the Republic of Mari El. The staff carried out preliminary sampling and tuber analysis for the presence of diseases. All batches of seeds were recognized as complying with GOST. Then the specialists of the FSBI Nizhny Novgorod Reference Center of the Rosselkhoznadzor came to us to take samples for the absence of quarantine facilities. From this organization, we also received the necessary permission to sell seeds throughout the Russian Federation.
ON THE SPRING START
There is not much time left before the start of the new season. Very soon we will return to the traditional spring themes. And while potato growers are preparing for planting, I want to once again draw their attention to the peculiarity of the last season, which we already mentioned in the last article: in the fall of 2018, many Russian seed growers received potatoes of a larger fraction than usual (if we talk about the products of our farm , then in the unit volume of seeds the main part of the tubers has a fraction of 45-55 mm). This fact is very important to consider when calculating the required number of seeds per unit area. The planting rate, depending on the planned density of the bushes, may differ from the average by 3 t / ha upwards.
LLC AgroAlliance-NN wishes you good harvests!