Short lead
A SOLO expedition of ~70,000 km across Russia and Central Asia with international fly-ins (India, Egypt, Türkiye, Kenya) will showcase real-world potato practices—from genetic resources to deep processing. The project runs all year, publishes in Russian and English (plus local languages along the route), and is built to deliver practical value for growers, processors, and industry partners.
WHAT THIS PROJECT IS
• Format: a road documentary media project with a one-person crew (SOLO: host = camera = editor).
• Distance & cadence: ~70,000 km by car, 150 nights on the road; every month a round-trip flight from the current location to Nizhny Novgorod and back (meetings, logistics, editing).
• Geography 2026: Russia + Central Asia; fly-ins to India, Egypt, Türkiye, Kenya.
• Distribution: VK, YouTube, Telegram, RuTube, Yandex Zen, Shorts/Reels/TikTok, LinkedIn.
• Languages: RU/EN by default + localizations (HI/AR/TR/KZ/UZ) depending on location.
• Goal: accelerate the spread of proven solutions across the chain “field → storage → pre-pack → processing → market,” and strengthen the international image of Russian potatoes.
2026 CALENDAR (high level)
| Month | Key actions | Content focus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | AGRAVIA (Moscow, 21–23) + India (~12 days) | Launch, contacts, India’s market & processing |
| Feb | Egypt (~11 days) | Nile Delta irrigation, export standards |
| Mar | Ship car → Vladivostok | Prep for road sprints |
| Apr | Türkiye (~13 days) | Seed production & logistics in Anatolia |
| May | Road Sprint #1: Vladivostok → East Siberia (14 days) + May 30 — International Day of Potato | Eastern field practices |
| Jun | Road Sprint #2: Central Asia (14 days); anchor — Solanuz (Tashkent) | Deep processing, quality discipline |
| Jul | Road Sprint #3: Urals → Volga region (14 days) | Irrigation, storage, variety portfolios |
| Aug | Pause/edit (~3 weeks) | Stabilize release cadence |
| Sep | Road Sprint #4: Bryansk → VIR (St Petersburg) → Central Black Earth/Lipetsk; PotatoEurope (9–10) | Genetic resources → raw-material standards → processing |
| Oct | World Potato Congress, Kenya (26–30) | Global trends & cooperation |
| Nov–Dec | Extra stories + final edit | Season wrap-up & best practices |
KEY “ANCHORS” OF THE SEASON
• VIR (St Petersburg): N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources — Potato Genetic Resources Department: from ex situ/in vitro and cryo collections to pre-breeding and practical selection (disease/stress resistance, raw-material quality for fresh & processing).
• Central Black Earth, Lipetsk Oblast: “contract field → size/dry matter/defects → fries plant → contract stability.” Economics of pre-pack and raw-material requirements.
• Tashkent, Solanuz: full deep-processing cycle (fries/flakes)—raw-material specs, line flow, control of critical points and losses.
• PotatoEurope (Germany) & World Potato Congress (Kenya): international platforms for tech/variety/quality exchange.
HOW WE PRODUCE (CONTINUOUS PIPELINE)
• D0: shoot → upload dailies to Yandex Disk (RAW → PROXIES → TRANSCRIPTS → EDIT → EXPORT → SOCIAL → REPORTS).
• Every 14-day sprint: 12–16 shorts (60–90 s), 2–3 mid-form videos (3–5 min), 1 report (10–15 min).
• Weekly partner report: views, retention, CTR, UTM/QR clicks, leads, audience geo split.
• Localization: RU/EN by default; local languages as relevant to broaden reach and B2B impact.
SECTIONS & THEMES
• Field protocols: “threat → protection/nutrition program → result” across zones (Far East, Volga, Central Black Earth, Central Asia).
• Tech breakdowns: planting/RTK, irrigation, storage microclimate, optical sorting, packaging, logistics, processor requirements.
• Industry people: growers, breeders, technologists, quality managers—with emphasis on practice and numbers.
• Economics of quality: how size, dry matter (DM), damage and losses affect price, complaints, and contract stability.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR THE SECTOR
For Russia
• Export image: show quality standards, technological discipline, and the potential of Russian farms and processing.
• Knowledge transfer: speed up the spread of working programs for protection, nutrition, irrigation, storage, and pre-pack.
• Loss reduction: systematic view of “field → storage → sorting → packaging” with loss/damage metrics.
• Talent: stories from field and plant make the industry attractive to young specialists.
• Investment: ROI cases for storages, microclimate, and pre-pack lines.
For the world
• Comparable case studies across climates (Russia/Central Asia/India/Egypt/Türkiye/Africa) — a base for dialogue on raw-material quality, water stress, and resilience.
• Collaboration platform: tie-ins with PotatoEurope and WPC to exchange varieties, technologies, and markets.
• Supply-chain transparency: processor/retail requirements, traceability, and predictable deliveries.
PARTNER FORMATS (WHO BENEFITS & HOW)
| Vertical | What we show on camera | Partner benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Crop Protection (CPP) | “Threat → program → result” in real fields | Expert inserts, “1 threat — 1 solution” shorts, lead magnets (protection calendar), demo requests |
| Fertilizers | Table vs processing; leaf diagnostics → size/DM | Infographics, rate calculator, “regional program” form |
| Tractors/RTK | “Planting → ridge → tuber size,” “A day with operator” | Test drives & settings, dealer leads |
| Potato & vegetable equipment | Field → storage → sorting → packaging; settings comps | “–20–30% losses” checklist, line-audit requests |
| Irrigation | Moisture sensors/flow → “water = size” | ROI case, project leads |
| Storages/microclimate | Ventilation, humidification, CO₂ control | Standardized quality, ROI |
| Logistics/processing/retail | Raw-material specs, traceability | Fewer complaints, stable contracts |
| Associations & organizations | International events (PotatoEurope, WPC) | PR reach, membership growth, analytics |
PUBLICATIONS: HOW TO FOLLOW
• Every 14 days — report (YouTube/VK/RuTube/Yandex Zen).
• Every 3–4 days — mid-form (3–5 minutes).
• Daily in sprints — shorts (Shorts/Reels/TikTok).
• LinkedIn — English digests and charts for B2B.
HONEST FAQ
• Why SOLO? More flexibility, speed, and authenticity. Peak loads covered by targeted outsourcing (editing/subtitles).
• How do you measure results? Media KPIs (views, retention, CTR) + business KPIs (UTM/QR clicks, leads, demos, meetings). Weekly reports.
• Objectivity & ethics? Clear ad labeling, fact-checking, agreed-upon quotes and comparison conditions.
• Risks & plan B? Time buffers, backup locations/guests, gear backup, visa/border roadmap, insurance.
JOIN IN
If you produce crop protection, fertilizers, machinery, irrigation/microclimate systems, or work in logistics, processing, or retail—“Potato Enthusiast — 2026” delivers measurable value: leads, demos, requests, and reusable content assets for your channels and PR. Participation packages (Title • Industry • Country/Region • Supporting), editorial slots, and KPIs are available on request.
Contacts: i@viktorkovalev.ru • WhatsApp +7 961 472-02-02
Note
Dates of international events and routes may be adjusted by organizers and partners; the calendar includes buffers to keep the production pipeline steady.
