New business ideas. Potato growing business: how to start and make a profit

* Calculations use average data for Russia

The agricultural business can be profitable and profitable with the right and competent approach. Growing and selling potatoes as a business is rarely considered by a novice entrepreneur. Although the potato is an indispensable food and is a regular guest on any table - from everyday to festive, nevertheless, the business of growing and selling this crop is considered complex, costly and highly competitive.

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To be successful, it will require considerable investment, as well as knowledge and experience. Experts in the field of agricultural business provide the following data. In order to get 20-30 tons of potato crop per hectare, you need to invest from 100 thousand rubles. For comparison, up to 8 tons of wheat can be obtained from the same area. However, the costs in the case of sowing wheat will be from 5 thousand rubles per hectare, and for potatoes - more than 150 thousand rubles per hectare! The profit from the sale of 20 tons of potatoes is estimated at about 70 thousand rubles (at the latest prices, which are constantly changing in the current economic conditions). In addition, there are the latest technologies for intensive potato cultivation, which allow reaching yields of 65-70 tons per hectare. In this case, the profit can be about 900 thousand rubles.

To successfully conduct commercial activities and get the maximum profit from growing potatoes for sale, experts advise using areas for sowing at least 250 hectares. The profitability of such a project is estimated at 100-200%, and investments amount to hundreds of millions of rubles. At the same time, the payback of such a project is about 6-7 years. You need to take into account possible risks (a lean year, a decrease in potato prices, etc.) and be ready for constant investment in the development of your business.

It is obvious that novice entrepreneurs cannot afford such a scale. But this does not mean at all that you will have to abandon your plans and look for new directions for work. You can start this business with much less investment. True, its profitability will also be significantly lower and will not exceed 60% (40% on average).

Potato growing technology

Potatoes, unlike a number of other vegetable crops, are more susceptible to the influence of weather and climatic conditions. There are two main ways to grow potatoes. In the first case, ultra-early varieties are grown in specially equipped greenhouses (thus, young potatoes go on sale in the spring), and in the second case, potatoes are grown in an open way for long-term storage and consumption in the autumn-winter period. The first option will bring you more profit, but its implementation also requires significant initial costs, which will be spent on equipping greenhouses and providing the necessary conditions for the early ripening of potatoes. The second option is more affordable for entrepreneurs with a small start-up capital, so we will start with it.

Potatoes are early maturing crops. From planting to the sale of finished products takes only four months. The technology of growing and selling potatoes involves several main stages. They include preparation of planting material, soil preparation for planting, planting itself, hilling, fertilization, pest control, cleaning, storage, packaging of finished products and its sale.

Potatoes purchased for seeds must have all the necessary documents that guarantee the absence of diseases in the future and high productivity. Higher requirements are imposed on such planting material. So, the diameter of the tubers should be from 3 to 5 cm. In this case, it is not allowed to mix tubers of different varieties. Plant vegetation should be 100%, and their reproduction should be stable and high. If the reproduction of varietal potatoes does not reach the second stage according to the established standards, but it is forbidden to use it for seeds.

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Planting material is prepared in the fall. To do this, the potatoes are sorted out, leaving only whole, clean medium-sized potatoes without signs of spoilage and diseases. The tubers selected for planting must be "greened" in advance. To do this, they are left in the light for about twenty days. Moreover, direct sunlight is strictly contraindicated for potatoes. The light must be diffused. As a result of "greening", the seed qualities of potatoes are improved, and the material itself becomes less prone to rotting. After sprouting, the potatoes are stored for storage in a room where sunlight does not enter. The warehouse should maintain an optimum temperature of +1 to +3 degrees and humidity of about 80-90%.

About a month before the planned sowing, the potatoes are transferred to a bright and warm room, where they begin to germinate. The size of the sprout before planting should be from one centimeter. As a rule, a medium size is chosen for planting, but if large tubers are found in the material, then it is divided into parts - in half or into quarters so that each part has at least two or three eyes. Tubers are cut two weeks before germination or immediately before it. To protect the tubers from disease and spoilage, the cuts can be covered with tree resin. Note that with large volumes of tubers, no one manually sorts out and, moreover, they do not process them additionally. Preparation of planting material is carried out automatically, and tubers of the same size are selected for planting.

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The timing of planting potatoes depends on the temperature of the soil. In the middle lane, potatoes are planted in May, in the south - from March, and in the northern regions - at the beginning of summer. Determining the readiness of the soil is easy. It should be warmed up to 8 degrees to a depth of 12 cm. The soil for planting must also be prepared in advance. In small areas, it is dug up with shovels or loosened with pitchforks. Of course, on an area of ​​several hectares, manual labor is excluded. For this, special equipment is used - a plow with a walk-behind tractor or a tractor. Previously, it was recommended to turn the soil over, that is, to swap its lower and upper layers. Now experts advise only to loosen the topsoil, which provides unhindered access to air and moisture tubers. Under such conditions, the root and bush parts of the plant will develop fully. For processing and loosening the soil, milling units with additional nozzles are used.

Potatoes are planted in rows at a distance of at least a meter between bushes. Row spacing for early varieties should ideally be about 65-70 cm, and for late varieties - 75-80 cm. Compliance with these requirements is necessary for the normal development of the bushes and to facilitate the process of processing plants and harvesting with the help of machinery. With such a row spacing, high loosening by milling units does not harm the root system of plants. However, most farmers prefer to increase planting density by all means in order to save space, and make the row spacing a maximum of 40-50 cm. This savings turns out to be dubious in the end, because when loosening the soil, the developing roots are subsequently cut, as a result of which the vegetation process slows down greatly, and the tubers exposed due to lack of soil turn green in the sun.

The tubers are planted to a depth of 4 to 8 cm with the formation of a ridge about 10 cm high on top. When planting seed potatoes, in accordance with the technological standard, there should be at least thirty bushes per square meter of land. In order to achieve such a density, at the stage of preparing the planting material, those that have sprouted at least five eyes are selected from heated and germinated tubers, which means that they can produce the required number of main stems. About a couple of weeks after planting, it is necessary to remove the weeds from the field and spud the sprouts. At the same time, the soil ridge above the potatoes is increased by another 10 cm. Thus, as a result, the height of the ridge is, in general, 20-25 cm, and its base is at least 75 cm. The soil during the formation of the ridge should be loose and soft, since it is in it that potato shoots will develop. Water the potatoes two to three times a week if there is no rain. In the southern regions, with severe drought, it is recommended to water daily. In cloudy weather and high humidity, the frequency of watering can be reduced.

Do not forget about the use of fertilizers for growing potatoes. The best organic fertilizer is cow or horse manure, which is applied to the soil even before planting and thoroughly mixed with the top layer of the earth. The use of chemical fertilizers deserves special attention. When using organic fertilizers, if the soil is not depleted, you can do without them. After harvesting potatoes, it is recommended to sow the field with any green manure crops. They belong to the so-called "green fertilizers". These are plants that are grown for the purpose of their subsequent incorporation into the soil to improve its structure, enrich it with nitrogen and inhibit the growth of weeds. These include sunflower, corn, clover, legumes, etc. (about four hundred plant species in total).

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When potato bushes bloom, they are treated with solutions of Colorado potato beetles, the main crop pests that can ruin the entire crop. In addition, it is recommended to carry out the prevention of late blight by spraying plants with special preparations. The treatment of landings is carried out at least 5-6 times with strict observance of the alternation of means recommended by the manufacturers of preparations. Abroad, when cultivating planting material, indirect methods of protecting plants from viral infection are also used. To do this, aphids are destroyed in advance with the help of chemicals. In our country, such processing of seed potatoes is extremely rare (again, in order to save money). We fight against the spread of diseases, mainly by removing infected plants during weeding.

Harvesting of potatoes is carried out immediately after the ripening of the tubers, which can significantly increase its shelf life and preserve all the useful qualities of the product. Harvested potatoes are stored in specially equipped warehouses, where a certain temperature and humidity level is maintained.

The yield of potatoes depends on many factors, but the varieties used can be attributed to the main one. For example, Dutch types of potatoes belong to highly productive varieties. If, for example, high-yielding domestic varieties yield about 20-30 tons per hectare, even with insufficient compliance with technological requirements, then the yield of Dutch varieties with the same care is about 30-40 tons per hectare. Although, for example, the same Dutch varieties are not in great demand among Russian potato farms. The fact is that our compatriots prefer to save on observing the cultivation technology, greatly simplifying it and limiting themselves to three main manipulations - planting, hilling and harvesting. In addition, not everyone can afford to purchase high-quality planting material, often using degenerated potatoes for several seasons. Particular attention is not paid to the prevention of infection of plants with late blight and the fight against it, and the level of technical equipment of farms, as a rule, leaves much to be desired. Meanwhile, experts are confident that a competent approach and the right choice of planting material are the main conditions for the success of a potato growing business.

As for the cost of seed materials, about 40 kg (that is, about 600 tubers) will be required per hundred square meters. The exact amount depends on the average weight of the tubers and the planting pattern you are using.

Legal and accounting issues of running an agricultural business

In the event that the land where you plan to grow potatoes for personal use or for sale in small quantities is owned by you and belongs to the category of private household plots (personal subsidiary plots), you can not register as an entrepreneur and simply sell your products (or rather its surplus) on the retail market. However, you should not count on big profits in this case. If you want to have not just additional income, but a profitable business, you will have to register as an individual entrepreneur. When registering, you will need to select an OKVED code. In our case, the coding 01.11.2 “Growing potatoes, table root crops and tuber crops with a high content of starch or inulin” is suitable (relevant for 2015). This group includes the cultivation of potatoes, the cultivation of table root and tuber crops with a high content of starch or inulin, the cultivation of seeds and planting material, including elite and reproduction, intended for sale.

The unified agricultural tax (UAT), which is 6% of net profit, is one of the most profitable. As the name implies, only agricultural producers, that is, enterprises or individual entrepreneurs who themselves produce these products and sell them, can pay the UAT. If you already have an operating enterprise and want to switch to the Unified Agricultural Tax, then the amount of income from the sale of agricultural products should be at least 70% of your total income. For producers of agricultural products, there are two taxation regimes - general and special. There are certain differences between them. Enterprises paying taxes under the general taxation regime must pay VAT, unified social tax, property tax (for property used for the production and storage of finished agricultural products, there is a privilege), transport tax (for trucks and agricultural machinery there are also privileges), transport tax (for trucks and agricultural machinery there is a privilege), income tax (preferential tax rate on profit from the sale of agricultural products), land tax, tax on the extraction of minerals , tax for the use of water bodies and environmental pollution.

Individual entrepreneurs who switch to a single agricultural tax are exempt from paying personal income tax, VAT (except for imports), property tax, and enterprises and organizations that have chosen this taxation system are exempt from paying VAT (except for imports), property tax and income tax. All other fees are paid as under other taxation systems, but the benefits for agricultural enterprises are obvious.

You can switch to the ESHN if you are an agricultural producer and fall under the above requirements, both in a general manner, by submitting an appropriate application to the Federal Tax Service in the period from October 20 to December 31 of the current year, and individually - within thirty days after registration as an individual entrepreneur or legal entity. In the first case, your enterprise will switch to the ESHN from the new calendar year, and in the second case, when registering with the Federal Tax Service. Keep in mind that during the year you will not be able to opt out of the taxation system you have chosen. But there is also the possibility of forced cancellation of the Unified Agricultural Tax in the event that your company begins to conduct activities that are not related to agriculture, or the share of sales of agricultural products becomes less than 70%.

It is also worth considering the fact that the expenses of an individual entrepreneur or an enterprise that conducts agricultural activities are limited to spending on the acquisition of fixed assets, wages of employees and advertising with the obligatory maintenance of a book of income and expenses. Only those funds that come to your current account or to the cash desk of the enterprise are considered income.

Business plan for growing and selling potatoes

Let us consider in more detail what an entrepreneur will need to organize his own economy. To process a small plot of 30 acres (personal subsidiary farming), you will need a mini-tractor (or walk-behind tractor), a plow for it, a hiller for a mini-tractor, a body for transporting goods using a mini-tractor, and a device for digging potatoes. This equipment will cost 100 thousand rubles.

If we are talking not about hundreds, but about hectares, then the cost of equipment will, of course, be much higher. So, you will need a harvester, which costs about 350 thousand euros, a planter worth about 100 thousand euros. Is it worth saving on equipment? You can also purchase obsolete equipment from Soviet times, but the savings in this case will be doubtful. Old technology is constantly breaking down. In addition, its use leads to loss and damage to the crop. New Russian-made equipment is cheaper than imported, while not much inferior to the latter in terms of quality and productivity. Therefore, it is better to purchase it, rather than used and obsolete equipment.

Additional costs are associated with the cleaning of the harvested potatoes from contamination, their sorting, packaging and transportation. For a small farm, these investments will amount to about 10 thousand rubles. For drying washed potatoes, a shed or shed with a slatted floor is suitable. For packaging, you can use packaging bags made of dense porous polyethylene, a stapler for sealing bags with staples, strips of thick cardboard and labels 25 by 8 cm in size, which you can print on your printer. The process of peeling and packing potatoes is quite simple - a couple of people can handle it.

First, the crop is moved, and all spoiled potatoes are removed from the total mass. The selected potatoes are then soaked in a container of water. An hour later, the water changes. This procedure is repeated two or three more times until the potato is completely cleaned of contamination. The potatoes are then laid out to dry on a slatted floor and left to dry completely. Finally, the finished product is packaged and weighed (the average weight of a "portioned" package with potatoes is about 2-4 kg). The upper part of the packaging bag is wrapped several times around a cardboard strip, which gives it rigidity and prevents tears, and then stapled in two or three places with a label previously inserted under the polyethylene.

But large manufacturing enterprises will have to spend a lot of money on ensuring a constant water supply, purchasing large containers (baths) for washing products, equipping a room for drying potatoes, buying scales, as well as packaging bags and labels. However, these costs are worth it. Experience shows that clean, selected potatoes are twice as popular as dirty and unwashed ones.

Additional costs are associated with the purchase of seed, fertilizers and means for treating potatoes from pests (Colorado potato beetle) and diseases. For a small farm, this item of expenditure is about 10-15 thousand rubles. From one hundred square meters you can collect, on average, 250-300 kg of potatoes. Even from a relatively small area of ​​30 acres, you can collect about 7500 kg of products. Thus, the wholesale sale of potatoes can bring an income of about 180 thousand rubles. Excluding taxes and contributions to the pension fund, the entrepreneur's net profit will be from 70 thousand rubles.

Potatoes from private farms are sold, as a rule, in food markets. Also, many entrepreneurs give their products for sale or rent to wholesalers. The latter option is suitable only for large farms, since wholesale prices are much lower than market prices. In addition, you can sell your potatoes to grocery stores, retail chains and individual retail outlets. Large enterprises work mainly with wholesale depots. Regardless of the volumes you are going to work in, if you are an individual entrepreneur or a legal entity, draw up your version of the contract in advance, which specifies the terms for the delivery of products and receipt of payment for it, prices and other important conditions for cooperation. Keep in mind that the highest prices for potatoes are observed in the spring.

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Payback: from 4 months

Analyzing ways to earn money in the agricultural sector, it is worth highlighting the cultivation of potatoes. This product is now consumed by almost all residents of the country, and the level of sales does not decrease for a long time. Let's take a closer look at this business idea.

business concept

Growing potatoes as an entrepreneurship is carried out in two ways. More promising and profitable is the method associated with obtaining early varieties. Of course, such a business requires significant start-up capital. This is due to the peculiarities of the climate. It will be necessary to install greenhouses and equip them with an irrigation system, light, and heating.

The second method is based on growing a seasonal crop. You can plant potatoes in open ground - no special care is required. Undoubtedly, the income will not be as high as in the first case. But still, up to 30 percent of profitability is achieved. This is a very good indicator.

As for the sale of products, you can choose one of three options:

1. Trade in the market. The income with this option is the highest, but it also takes a lot of time. Or you need to look for a hired seller and spend money on salaries.
2. Marketing of potatoes with the help of third-party traders. Fast and convenient method, and often profitable.
3. Sale to wholesalers. The option is good if you have large fields and a large crop.

The methods can be combined. Ideally, even before purchasing planting material, find buyers for the future crop.

What is required to run a business?

If you decide to grow early varieties, you will need a greenhouse with lighting and heating. These are additional costs. Consider an option for beginners - planting potatoes in open ground with an area of ​​\u200b\u200b0.5 hectares.

The plot can be rented. If you have your own land, great. First, you don't have to worry about rent. Secondly, in this case it is not necessary to register an IP. After all, according to the law "On personal subsidiary plots", self-grown products are not taxed.

Owners of land plots can also save on utility bills if they use natural sources of water supply and lighting.

In addition to land, you will need:

• seed material;
• equipment for plowing, hilling and digging up ripe tubers;
• fertilizers and herbicides.

About hired workers: as a rule, the whole family is involved in such a business, so outsiders do not need to pay wages.

Step by step start instructions

Even something as simple as growing potatoes requires a business plan. It must indicate all stages of agricultural activity and possible ways of implementation. Keep in mind that this business pays off quickly. Planted potatoes mature in just four months. In the southern regions, the weather allows two harvests per year.

So, what are the main stages of starting a business:

To preserve the fertility of the land for the next year, sow corn, sunflower or clover after harvest. They will save the earth from diseases and the germination of weeds.

Financial calculations

To be sure of the correctness of the new business, carefully calculate the possible costs and profits.

Starting capital and monthly expenses

To open a business for growing and marketing potatoes, you need to purchase the following equipment (cost in rubles):

• walk-behind tractor or mini tractor - 35,000;
• okuchnik - 2,000;
• plow - 2,000;
• unit for digging mature tubers - 3,000;
• a body for transporting crops - 20,000;
• storage boxes - 3,000.

As a result, you need to buy equipment in the amount of 62,000 rubles.

Put in the initial capital 10,000 rubles for transportation costs, the same amount for fertilizers and herbicides. Add 18,000 for a cash register and 15,000 for paperwork and online accounting.

As for seed, 50 acres (0.5 ha) will require 1000 kg of tubers for planting - at the rate of 20 kg per hundred square meters. The cost of one kilo depends on the variety and averages 35 rubles. So, you need to invest 35,000 rubles.

As a result, the starting capital will be 150,000 rubles. And monthly you will have to spend only on transport - 10,000 rubles.

How much can you earn and payback periods

About 250 kg of potatoes can be harvested from one hundred square meters. The total yield will be approximately 12,500 kg. When selling potatoes at a price of 20 rubles per kilo, the profit will be 250,000 rubles. Profitability is about 30 percent in the first year, then it increases, since you no longer need to buy equipment. If you subtract monthly expenses and initial investments without paying taxes, the profit will be 70,000 rubles. With a fully sold crop, the business will pay off in the first season.

Advantages and possible risks

Growing potatoes has its advantages and disadvantages. The main plus is excellent profitability. Especially in large cities, where not everyone has summer cottages.

What are the pros and cons of business also worth considering:

The main disadvantage is seasonality - you can grow potatoes without a greenhouse only in summer. This is beneficial only in the southern regions, where two crops are harvested a year. In the north and in the middle lane, it is more profitable to build a greenhouse - it will quickly pay off.

Potatoes are a popular agricultural crop familiar to us since childhood. The advantages of this vegetable is that any novice farmer can start breeding it without the use of special equipment. Of course, the processing of potato fields with special equipment saves time, but, unlike other agricultural crops, potatoes can be planted and harvested manually, without intermediate manipulations, that is, harvesting immediately takes place in the final stage and potatoes, after drying, can be stored for storage.

Thanks to these pluses, novice farmers have a question - potato business profitable or not? You will find the answer in this article.

Features of such a business

Potatoes can be grown profitably in various areas, but for a beginner, a field of up to 2 hectares is the best option. Causes:

1. The indicated area can be served by a family and even by one person;
2. In this case, the initial costs will be relatively small - up to 350 thousand rubles. This is taking into account the purchase of a mini-tractor (motoblock) with a set of appropriate equipment (hiller, plow, body, harvesting unit). The cost of all of the above will be at least 200 thousand rubles. If the cultivated area is relatively small (several tens of acres), then the family will be able to do without a tractor, relying on their own strength, but realizing that all manipulations will take more time;
3. With small volumes, growing potatoes can be handled without interrupting the main work. That is, the sale of this vegetable will be an additional pleasant income, and the main job can be an excellent place to sell the finished crop;
4. This area will be enough to gain experience in growing potatoes on an industrial scale.

Starting costs

As mentioned above, the main expense item will be a mini-tractor (walk-behind tractor) with the necessary set of equipment, in addition, in the first year of the formation of this business, a novice farmer will also have to shell out money for:

1. seed material- This is a potato intended for planting. It is not necessary to save on it, as this will affect the quality and quantity of the harvested crop. On average, you will have to spend 100 thousand rubles. Such a waste is one-time, next year the entrepreneur will be able to use his own potatoes as seed material. We recommend purchasing seed material in specialized nurseries, where you will be given a guaranteed variety. Since on the market, even with the relevant documents, in the form of seed material, they may slip not what you need;
2. Land lease. If you do not have your own field, then up to 7 thousand rubles will have to be paid annually for 2 hectares (less in many regions);
3. Fertilizers, protection against diseases, pests. On average, it will cost 10-25 thousand rubles. Moreover, taking into account that the procedures necessary to protect the vegetable will be performed by specialists. If the farmer wants to save money, then you can meet the modest 6-7 thousand rubles and do all the work yourself.

How to save

If there is no required amount for the tractor and equipment, then the financial burden can be reduced by buying everything you need on lease. In this case, you will immediately have to pay a third of the total cost. The rest of the amount can be paid over several years.

Significantly help to reduce costs and the purchase of a tractor with mileage. If there is no money at all, then you can do without mechanical means, but the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe site should be small (up to 10-100 acres). Instead of special equipment, you can attract handymen, their services are estimated at 100-200 rubles per hour. If you involve them in harvesting potatoes, then payment can be replaced in kind, that is, with a new crop.

Growing technology

Proper cultivation technology includes the following:

1. Purchase, preparation of seed material;
2. soil preparation;
3. landing;
4. Hilling;
5. Fertilizer;
6. Protection from all kinds of pests;
7. Harvesting;
8. Storage.

seed material

Potatoes for planting should be purchased in the fall. Moreover, the seller is obliged to attach to him documents confirming high reproduction, the absence of diseases, if there are none, then the buyer takes all the risks.

seed material- These are medium-sized potatoes (3-5 cm in diameter), without traces of disease or damage. All tubers must be of the same variety.

Before planting, all purchased seed material must be "greened". Why is it placed in a cool (temperature should be within 1-3 ° C), humid room, where there is diffused sunlight. There tubers should be 20 days.

Also, before planting, potatoes need to be sprouted. Why is it moved to a warm (temperature should be within 12-15 ° C), bright room. Tubers are considered ready for planting after the appearance of strong, thick shoots, the length of which is not less than one and a half centimeters.

To prevent various diseases, the farmer must place the seed material in a solution of boric acid. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes.

Soil preparation

The land in which the potatoes will be planted should be loose, which will allow the tubers to develop easily and receive the right amount of oxygen. To do this, since autumn, the soil must be dug up, plowed or loosened. Moreover, the last option is the most correct way. Also in the ground you need to add:

1. Wood ash, which not only nourishes the potato, but also protects it from the larvae of the wireworm, the Colorado potato beetle;
2. Humus, which nourishes the potatoes, and also warms the soil.

Planting potatoes for later sale

This procedure is carried out when the earth warms up to 8 ° C, and to a depth of 10 cm. An important indicator is planting density, so the optimal scheme is 75X50 cm. This means that the distance between rows should be 75 cm, and the same indicator between bushes of the same row - 50 cm. But the optimal schemes for different varieties may differ. especially if they are early. For example, the popular type of domestic potato Ryabinushka is planted according to the 60X30 scheme.

The depth of planting tubers is 4-8 cm.

Hilling

A week after planting potatoes, weeds appear and this is a signal that hilling is necessary. This procedure prevents the growth of all kinds of weeds, and most importantly, provides sufficient ventilation for the roots, tubers and gives them the opportunity to develop. Which helps increase the yield. Hilling is performed at least twice during the growing season. Each time, the soil layer under the potato bush must be increased by 10 cm.

Fertilizer

When planting, manure should be applied, when it is necessary to save money, then it is changed to bone meal, chicken manure, and other organic fertilizers. If the land is not depleted, then all of the above will be enough for the whole season. But, when the soil contains a small amount of nutrients, then you need to be ready to use chemical fertilizers.

Protection from pests, diseases

Insecticide treatment is a mandatory procedure, it is performed after the flowering of the bushes, if necessary, and later. You also need to fight late blight, for which spraying is performed. In total, 5-6 such procedures may be needed per season.

Harvesting

The fact that it is time to collect potatoes is evidenced by drying tops, which should be mowed. And after 2 weeks, the tubers themselves are removed from the ground.

Storage

For long-term storage, potatoes are dried in the fresh air for two weeks, and then stored in a ventilated basement.

How to get the most out of growing potatoes for sale

Russian potato growers are used to violating existing growing technologies, this is done in order to save money. In fact, in our country, of the necessary procedures, only planting, subsequent hilling, and collection are often performed. Diseases are fought by removing the affected bushes. And unsuitable tubers are used as seed material. It is no coincidence that they do this, such savings still make it possible to obtain 18-20 tons of potatoes per hectare. That is, cutting the volume of work is one of the methods of cultivation.

But still, modern technologies give the maximum profit, for example, such as the Dutch method, which is the creation of ridges from the soil where potatoes are planted.

Straw mulching is also an effective way of growing, which protects against weeds, creates the right microclimate, and prevents dehydration.

In Russia, as you know, potato- the second bread. The appearance of potatoes in Russia is associated with the activities of Peter I. However, potatoes became most widespread in Russia in the 19th century. Since then, potatoes can be considered one of the favorite crops of Russians. And if not everyone loves to grow potatoes, then everyone loves to eat them. Or almost everything.

If you do not want to grow potatoes for sale on your own, we connect to potato business as an intermediary.

The essence of the idea is very simple and uncomplicated - we buy potatoes during the harvest season (August-September), we sell them at the peak of the growth in the price of potatoes - from December to June.

In the autumn of 2014, the price per kilogram of potatoes at agricultural fairs was at the level of 12-14 rubles per kilogram (this is the selling price to a retail buyer). In the winter of 2014-2015, the store price of potatoes fluctuates between 30-40 rubles. The cost of washed potatoes reaches 60 rubles and more.

Despite the difference in prices of different regions, and the inflation rate at different times, you can roughly imagine the order of the numbers. We sell 3-7 times more expensive than we buy. Inflation is not terrible for this business.

Since there are no trifles here, you need to carefully consider all stages of the business - purchase, storage, marketing.

Purchase of potatoes

There are several options here - purchase at wholesale depots, purchase from the population, purchase at agricultural fairs, purchase from farms or collective farms.

Purchasing at a wholesale base - everything is simple here. We arrive, buy, receive copies of the necessary documents for products in order to further sell them to the end consumer. When purchasing products from the population, we submit advertisements in the media about the purchase of potatoes.

We consider the purchase of potatoes directly "in the field" to be the most promising "topic". The collective farm / farm does not spend money on packaging, sorting, transportation, storage of products, so purchasing products directly “on the garden” is the most profitable option. In this case, it remains to think over the potato drying system - raw potatoes cannot be stored for storage - this creates the prerequisites for the rapid occurrence of mold. There may also be problems with the documentation for the batch of potatoes (giving the right to retail) - the farm / collective farm by this time may not have time to receive it from the relevant authorities.

It is good if you have your own freight transport. However, its absence is not an obstacle to doing this business. We go around the nearby collective farms, state farms, farms in the spring, and clarify under what conditions it is possible to purchase potatoes in the fall directly “from the garden”. Perhaps you will be offered your own transport to deliver products to your destination. In extreme cases, you can rent a car for the required number of hours.

As one of the options, you can consider the issue of cooperation with a collective farm (another farm) - for example, the storage and sorting of potatoes is carried out by the collective farm, and you are engaged in the sale of the collective farm's products and have a certain percentage from this. However, the income in this case will be less than the "independent" business, but there is less hassle.

You should not buy potatoes in an area where a phytosanitary quarantine zone has been established - there will be problems with sales. Information about this can be obtained in advance from the Federal Service for Veterinary and Sanitary Supervision. In the same place, by the way, you can immediately consult with regard to obtaining the necessary documentation for the sale of potatoes - in the amount of information regarding this department, you are unlikely to be refused.

Potato storage

To implement this business, you will need storage (cellar, caisson). If you have your own garage with a caisson, this is an additional plus. Although in any case, most likely you will have to rent a room, since a lot of potatoes will not fit into a standard 2m * 2m caisson.

Before storing potatoes for storage, we immediately throw out the tubers containing signs of rot - otherwise very large losses are possible in the future.

It is also necessary to periodically sort the potatoes during storage to avoid rotting, since any rot is a loss for the business.

Potatoes should be stored in dry, cool, dark, ventilated stores at a temperature of + 2C + 4C at an air humidity of 85-95%. We lay pre-dried (for example, in the sun) tubers. Usually, the height of backfilling of tubers should not exceed 1-1.5 meters, but it all depends on the ventilation system. Some experts put leaves of some plants (mountain ash, elderberry, etc.) in potatoes - this helps to prevent rot.

Potatoes can be stored "in bulk", in wooden boxes or bags.

With proper organization of storage, the percentage of culling of spoiled potatoes can be minimized.

Selling potatoes

Here we divide buyers into wholesale buyers (shops, restaurants, cafes, canteens, schools, kindergartens), and retail buyers. When selling to shops, kindergartens, etc. it is necessary to have all the documents for the potatoes sold, this is a prerequisite. In stores, products can be sold, or offered for sale on the terms of a commission agreement.

Retail buyers, as a rule, are not very interested in documents - they usually ask the question - “where are the potatoes from?”. The oral answer, as a rule, completely suits them. In principle, an ordinary consumer is more willing to buy potatoes without documents from a collective farm from his own or neighboring district of his region than potatoes from the other side of the world with documents in a store.

You can offer a discount to socially vulnerable segments of the population.

You can offer potatoes with delivery directly to the apartment, or to the cellar (caisson).

A very interesting option is the sale of washed potatoes. It is not necessary to wash the potatoes in advance, it is better to wash the potatoes immediately before the delivery of the goods to the client (at the request of the client, of course). Technically, we will not deeply consider the issue of washing - everyone can work it out on their own. Packing potatoes in containers of various sizes is also a plus - in bags of 3, 5, 10, 25 kilograms.

As a rule, if a client orders a batch of potatoes once, and the quality and price suit him completely, then in the future he becomes a regular customer.

And you need to love regular customers - periodically arrange promotions, provide discounts, etc. It is not considered bad manners to call and offer the product to a customer who purchased potatoes from you some time ago (you can offer a discount as a regular customer). Always a certain part of customers agrees to buy more. If the buyer refuses, you can clarify the reason - perhaps the client did not like the taste of potatoes. If this reason is indicated by the majority of customers, in this case, you will have to look for new suppliers.

What documents to issue for potatoes when selling it?

A declaration of conformity is issued for potatoes, it gives the right to sell potatoes on the territory of our country and the customs union. A declaration of conformity can only be issued for an organization or individual entrepreneur.

Submission of a declaration of conformity is carried out in accordance with the requirements of two current technical regulations of the Customs Union:

Technical regulation of the Customs Union TR TS 021/2011 "On food safety" (approved by the Decision of the Commission of the Customs Union dated December 9, 2011 No. 880).

Technical regulation of the Customs Union TR CU 022/2011 "Food products in terms of their labeling" (approved by the Decision of the Commission of the Customs Union of December 9, 2011 No. 881).

The applicant has the right, in addition to the declaration, to issue also a voluntary certificate for potatoes. This document is not a permit for the sale of products on the territory of Russia - it only confirms the compliance with the standards of the Russian Federation of those potato characteristics that are not subject to mandatory verification during the declaration process. Therefore, a certificate for potatoes obtained on a voluntary basis contributes exclusively to increasing the competitiveness of this product.

In the process of reviewing documents, the necessary studies and examinations of a batch of potatoes are carried out.

There is also another document - for voluntary use. This is the national standard of the Russian Federation GOST R 51808-2013 (UNECE FFV-52:2010) "Wood potatoes. Specifications", modified in relation to the UNECE standard FFV-52:2010, concerning the marketing and commercial quality control of early and ware potatoes, with the effective date of July 1, 2014 to replace GOST R 51808-2001. We recommend that you read this document as well.

In Russia, legislators are very fond of frequently changing the regulatory framework (the “priority” is land legislation, tax legislation and everything related to doing business), constantly complicating the conditions for doing small business. Since the information may become outdated at any time, the easiest way to do this is to contact the wholesale base, or the collective farm / farm for the purchase of a small batch of potatoes for resale. We ask for certified copies of documents for a batch of potatoes (it’s not a fact yet, by the way, that you will be given all the necessary documents) in order to “sell potatoes in a store without problems with regulatory authorities.” After that, we study the issued documents, contact the authorities that issued them, get the necessary advice to obtain documents for “our” batch of products.

Or you can contact the specialized organizations of your city that provide such services - the specialists of these companies will help you quickly and without bureaucratic delays to obtain all the necessary documents from government agencies.

Highly recommend to have on sale potato all necessary documents. It's not that hard to get them if you want. You still have time before the season, so you can easily find more detailed information on this issue on your own and study the necessary documents.

This business can be run by registering as an individual entrepreneur, or by opening an LLC. There is a very good video on the topic of choosing between an individual entrepreneur and an LLC with a comparative analysis of the main criteria, we recommend that you watch it. The video is located.

The food market is the future, so now it is better not to miss the chance to occupy your niche in this market.

More information on this idea for starting and running a business can be obtained.

The young generation of Russian villages and villages without exception aspires to large cities. Such a craving for megacities is quite justified in a number of situations, for example, to get an education or enter large sports schools. In a word, there are many justified reasons, but the truth and the main goal of the majority is employment with the subsequent opening of their own business. It is worth recognizing that cities, especially those with a population of over one million, really always require new specialists and there are many options for business, but it is worth noting two important points.

The first is the presence of fierce competition and a number of bureaucratic and everyday problems, and the second point, about which F.M. Dostoevsky said - "After all, the village feeds the city." You can live well, you can live anywhere, the main thing is the presence of a profitable and popular type of activity. It's no secret that many townspeople have their own summer cottages for growing food and breeding birds and rabbits, and how many examples of wealthy farmers do we have in our country? But, for example, in the United States, farmers, livestock owners and owners of their own ranchers are highly respected people with influence in the highest circles. From the foregoing, the conclusion suggests itself that it is quite possible not to become dependent on the city yourself, but, on the contrary, to become its breadwinner and then, albeit to a small extent, but still, the city will already depend on you.

So, consider a variant of your own business - a potato business. Potatoes are in demand on the market all year round by all categories of people. And this means that it is one of the staple foods and is consumed simply in huge quantities.

Growing potatoes requires strict adherence to the planned plan. Of course, much depends on weather factors, in particular on air temperature and precipitation. It is quite possible to compensate for the lack of moisture by watering, but it is difficult to deal with an excess of sunlight. There is only one way here - frequent spraying of the leaves with water, and an irrigation system will be a good helper in this. The cost of such an installation may not be high, but it provides many advantages. The moistening process will be fully automated, which will save a lot of time and will allow you to adjust the degree of saturation of the soil with water, as well as save the foliage from drying out.

The lack of sun is unlikely to ruin the crop, but the ripened potatoes will be small and of poor presentation, and they may not survive the winter season. Nothing can be done here, although such cases are extremely rare. Try to analyze the long-term weather forecast before landing, then you will be aware of weather changes in advance. As practice shows, the Hydrometeorological Center provides reliable data on the upcoming season, and the average daily data is quite accurate for the entire period of the season. Take care in advance of the availability of pest control and all technical devices.

During the ripening process, you may need to keep an eye on vegetables to protect them from encroachers, this point should also be taken into account. Between the rows of potatoes, many plant onions and carrots, these vegetables fight a number of pests and help the soil, and they are also not whimsical to care for and will provide material benefits. There will be no problems with their implementation, since potato dealers, as a rule, deal with onions and carrots.

The use of professional agricultural equipment significantly increases labor productivity

The potato farming business will require all your energy and dedication from you, don't be misled into thinking that everything will be easy. But still, this is a very promising business.

Brief business plan for growing potatoes

It is advisable to take care of the sales market in advance, then you will save time and nerves, and the goods will not deteriorate. The average cost of selling to wholesalers is 20 rubles, and from one hundred square meters it turns out about 250 kg, further calculations are not difficult to make. Growing potatoes as a business can be a fairly profitable activity and absolutely legal, which you will agree is important. But of course, you need to sow not one hundred square meters of land, but entire fields.

If you take care of transport for delivery, this will reduce your costs significantly and help organize the sale of goods on time and at competitive prices. Growing potatoes is a seasonal business, but having earned money, you can find something to do for the winter.