Altai Farmer Reports Sharp Yield Drop in 2026 but Guaranteed Demand Under PepsiCo Contract
Shukhrat Kurbanov, a farmer from the Kosikhinsky district of the Altai region, shared the results of a difficult season in an interview with “Altayskaya Niva” in September 2026. Yields fell sharply: while the farm harvested around 35 tonnes per hectare last year, in 2026 it managed only a little over 20 tonnes. The cause was nearly two months without rain during the growing season, and the precipitation that eventually came arrived too late to compensate for the moisture deficit. Despite the shortfall, the farm’s market position remains stable because all of its potatoes are chipping varieties grown under contract for PepsiCo in the Novosibirsk region. The variety Lady Claire was selected specifically because it tolerates drought better than others, and as Kurbanov noted, demand is guaranteed — unlike yield.
The drought’s effects also spilled over into logistics. The farm normally ships up to 12 trucks — roughly 240 tonnes — per day, but has now slowed the pace to eight. The reason is that rain finally fell after the dry spell, leaving large clumps of soil clinging to the tubers, which slows down sorting; the farmer expects the clumps to disappear after another good rain. Colorado potato beetle pressure has not been a major problem, since seed material is treated, though plant protection chemicals remain the main input cost — “worth the result,” in his words. Summing up the season, Kurbanov took a philosophical view: “We won’t anger God, what is, is. You can’t argue with nature.” His experience reflects the broader situation in the Altai region, where abnormal heat and drought in 2026 have cut potato yields and pushed prices upward across the area.
