Founded in 2001, KFH Davletov has grown from 50 ha to a modern, family-run potato and vegetable business led by second-generation farmer Kamil Davletov. The farm leans on European machinery, eight-row technology, and container storage to keep quality high and sales running late into spring.
Markets & pricing
Sales go through regional retail partners, notably LETO (Ulyanovsk). Large federal chains are “tougher” on specs, so the team prioritizes workable contracts and steady movement. Kamil’s take: growing is doable — the hardest part is selling at a fair, profitable price. Prices before New Year can be acceptable; post-New Year must be higher to cover cold-storage power and handling.
Storage advantage
The farm holds up to 8,000 t of potatoes (containerized), routinely shipping through late May (this season’s last loads left around May 25). Containers mean mobility, fewer hands, easier cross-dock between sheds, and less reliance on heavy fixed ventilation.
Field system & kit
Planting is ridge-first: form beds, then plant into the ridge. An eight-row planter (2023, folding ~6-ton hopper) allows ~30 ha/day; the team targets 10 planting days total and can cover ~120 ha in 4 days when windows are tight. A high-tooth rotavator (≈2.5 cm tooth spacing) crumbifies clods; deep ripping → cultivation → ridge → plant. Harvest hinges on self-propelled machines (incl. a 2022 unit that tolerates wet ground), replacing older trailed gear.
People
It’s a family enterprise (three Davletovs plus 3–4 close helpers). Trained seasonal/foreign crews rotate through packing and veg harvest (carrot/cabbage). Operators rely widely on autopilot guidance; Kamil still plants personally to keep standards tight.
Next steps
No big land expansion planned. Focus is value-added: peeled & vacuum-packed potatoes for the social/budget sector (schools, institutions). The constraint is capex and credit cost — but the direction is set.
