According to the forecast of the Ministry of Agriculture, this year the commodity sector will produce 6,9 million tons of potatoes. This is 200 thousand tons more than was collected by agricultural enterprises, farms and individual entrepreneurs last season, said the executive director of the Potato Union Alexei Krasilnikov.
“If last year the summer in a number of regions was cold, too rainy or, conversely, dry, then in 2018 the weather conditions for the main potato producers were favorable,” the expert told Agroinvestor.
Despite the fact that planting work in all regions was shifted by two weeks due to late and cold spring, watering and other agro-technological measures helped to catch up, so the expectations for the harvest are quite optimistic. “Harvesting of early potatoes is already underway in 30 regions of Russia, and both in quality and quantity, it is not bad,” says Krasilnikov. - The average yield is 262 c / ha against 247 c / ha last year as of the reporting date. As a result, the gross harvest is 17 thousand tons higher than last year, in general, 416 thousand tons have already been dug out. "
According to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture, as of August 10, the collection in agricultural enterprises and peasant farms was slightly higher - 428 thousand tons. The leaders in production are the southern regions - Astrakhan (126 thousand tons), Rostov (103 thousand tons) regions, as well as Krasnodar Territory ( 72 thousand tons). The Bryansk region is approaching them, where by August 10, 7% of the area has been harvested, the harvest of potatoes is 53,4 thousand tons. The mass digging of agriculture will begin in September-October, Krasilnikov adds.
The expected high yield has slightly reduced the prices for potatoes, the expert continues. Now, according to the Potato Union, the cost of agricultural producers is in the corridor of 10-14 rubles / kg against 12-16 rubles / kg in the same period last year. According to Rosstat, the minimum consumer price for potatoes in 2017 was in January and amounted to 20,8 rubles / kg, and the maximum - 44,8 rubles / kg - in June. In January and June of this year, retail potatoes cost 24 rubles / kg and 33,2 rubles / kg. Last month, it fell to 32,4 rubles / kg.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, potato plantings in the commercial sector this year amounted to 304,8 thousand hectares against 300 thousand hectares in 2017. The areas have been increased in all regions, Krasilnikov notes. The greatest growth - by 2,2 thousand hectares - occurred in the Bryansk region, according to the agro-department, where potatoes in agricultural organizations and peasant farms occupied 27,2 thousand hectares. A significant increase occurred in Astrakhan, where over the past 12 years, the planting of commercial potatoes has tripled - from 3,3 thousand hectares in 2006 to 9,9 thousand hectares for the harvest in 2018. First of all, the growth was provided by small farmers who are engaged in cultivation early potatoes, Krasilnikov knows.
Source: http://www.agroinvestor.ru