Krasnoyarsk Krai, Uzhursky District –
LLC Agrofirma Uchumskaya, long known locally as a major grain grower (over 30,000 ha under crops), planted its very first commercial potatoes only three years ago. Yet for a second year running the farm tops the region for yield: 43.3 tonnes per hectare in 2024—an all-time record for organized potato production in Siberia.
Siberia’s Climate Challenge
The farm’s land spans Uzhursky and Sukhobuzimsky districts, where temperatures swing from –45 °C in winter to +35 °C in summer and the frost-free window barely reaches 95 days. To fit that narrow growing slot, Uchumskaya relies on early and medium-early Dutch and Russian varieties and plants only first-generation, fungicide-treated seed.
Technology Investments: ₽1.5 Billion in Five Years
Since 2020 Uchumskaya has run an aggressive cap-ex program—workshop upgrades, new offices, a refrigerated warehouse and a full machinery refresh—already topping ₽1.5 billion. The potato project has been a major beneficiary:
| Stage | Key equipment / solution | Pay-off |
|---|---|---|
| Planting | 4-row planters with RTK-GPS & variable-rate dosing | perfectly even depth, seed savings ≈ 7 % |
| Crop care | Center-pivot & drip irrigation, on-farm weather stations | precision moisture, lower late-blight risk |
| Harvest | Grimme Varitron 470 harvesters + over-loader buffers | tuber loss < 2 % |
| Storage | 15 000 t cold store with CA chambers & air channels | year-round quality, market-timed grading |
A Digital “Upper Deck”
- Yield mapping: every harvester pass logs yield; data feed straight into the farm’s 1C-ERP.
- Satellite monitoring: NDVI maps drive spot applications of UAN-32 and granular fertilizers.
- Mobile app for operators: job sheets, in-field navigation, real-time fuel accounting.
Three Seasons in Numbers
| Year | Area (ha) | Yield (t/ha) | Total crop (t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 250 | 28.0 | 7 000 |
| 2023 | 600 | 39.0 | 23 400 |
| 2024 | 800 | 43.3 | 34 600 |
Source: production department, LLC Agrofirma Uchumskaya.
What’s Next
“In 2025 we’ll expand to 1 200 ha and launch a washed-potato packing line (3 kg mesh bags). We’re also rolling out a 200 ha seed-multiplication block,”
says Olesya Voronina, Deputy CEO for Vegetable Production Development.
The team is evaluating a 60 t/day starch plant and a supply partnership with a fast-food chain for French-fry potatoes.
“Potato Tour Russia”: Stop #1 of 20
This feature is part of the POTATOES NEWS expedition. Next up: field reports from Bryansk, Tyumen, Stavropol and the Russian Far East. Subscribe so you don’t miss new videos on machinery, varieties and market trends!
