International Potato Tour (Международный картофельный тур) keeps rolling through the industry’s key hubs. This time we’re in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Gorodetsky District: the 25-year-old Agrotrade Group and the seed company Aksentis, where preparations are already underway for the GRIMME Field Day scheduled for August 8, 2025.
Agrotrade: 25 Years of Entrepreneurship with Potatoes at the Core
Agrotrade founder Sergey Viktorovich Khavanov calls himself, first and foremost, an entrepreneur: “A person who creates—sometimes from nothing.” The company grew out of early-2000s contract-farming ideas and today is an ecosystem built around crop production: machinery, storage construction, and grain handling lines. But the core remains the same: potatoes.
Agrotrade’s vector is to ensure a long corporate life through people and continuity: “Our goal is to celebrate a 100-year anniversary. Many of us won’t see it, but we are already investing in teams and processes today.”
Aksentis: A Full Seed Cycle and a Culture of Order
A visit to Aksentis offers a look into the heart of a seed program: a microclonal lab, greenhouses for mini-tubers, and production buildings—from seasonal cleanup to grading and labeling of elite material.
Key facts:
- Seed output: the site targets 16–20 thousand tons of commercial-quality seed potatoes per year.
- Storage: 30 thousand tons total capacity, of which ≈10 thousand tons are containerized.
- Field team: 20 machine operators with a balanced incentive system; the agronomy team has KPIs tied to key quality parameters.
- Soils: light soils that allow field entry half a day after rain; the trade-off is dustiness, which demands extra attention to cleaning and ventilation.
- Clients: >70% of volumes go to processors; in 2025 there’s visible demand from new players building their own contract-farming systems.
Internal batch labeling records variety, class, customer, and origin—a full “passport” down to the specific field and shift.
Elite Seed vs. RS1: What’s More Rational?
Asked what’s more economical for industrial production—elite seed or early reproductions—Khovanov is pragmatic: moving RS1 is difficult, especially east of the Urals. In central regions it’s often more sensible to bring in elite seed, multiply it for a year, and then secure volumes for table potatoes or processing. That said, “planting with elite seed is an expensive option”—the choice depends on contracts and each farm’s economics.
Machinery and Service: Longtime Dealership, Current Bottlenecks
Agrotrade has worked with GRIMME machinery since 2004. “The equipment is excellent. There were issues when switching models—as any company has—but we as dealers, the service team, and our clients got through it. Today GRIMME’s work is excellent.”
The main bottleneck is warehouse equipment: planters and harvesters are fine for now, but storage/handling systems face supply issues and there are few real alternatives.
The site also features a high-throughput grading/calibration line that in one pass splits lots into required fractions and waste—precision geared primarily to seed production.
The Cost of Entry: ₽3 Million per Hectare and Irrigation Is a Must
Khavanov openly states the “ticket price” if you build from scratch, turnkey, with new equipment:
— ≈₽3 million per hectare, covering field and storage machinery, storages, and irrigation systems, without which processors won’t even start a conversation. Add in soil preparation cycles, equipment, and working capital.
Advice to newcomers: first answer “for whom” and “what exactly” you will produce. Better yet, plug into existing chains of major processors. And remember the seed cycle: at least 4 years from program changes to commercial effect. “If you want to supply French-fry raw material—start thinking today; in five years you’ll be ready.”
Why Buy Aksentis Instead of Building from Scratch
Seed potato production is long-money business: from mini-tuber to commercial volume takes 4–5 years. With expensive financing, a greenfield launch is extremely hard. “Aksentis isn’t just a physical base. It’s a well-built system of processes from mini-tubers to elite seed. Our task is a ‘light scalpel’: fine-tune and raise efficiency.”
The Market: After the Roller Coaster—Hoping for Balance
By Khavanov’s assessment, 2023/24 brought heavy losses to many farms and triggered a rethink. In 2025 the sector again feels energetic. Expectations: smoother price dynamics, moderate potato price growth, and some relief on fuel, fertilizers, and crop-protection costs.
Personal
Khovanov admits to a “healthy dependency” on potatoes: favorite dish—mashed potatoes with butter and dill. Hobbies: snowboarding, skiing, wakeboarding, and the gym in the off-season. On temperament—“all entrepreneurs are risk-takers”—but on the road, “the main thing is not to cross the lane markings.”
GRIMME Field Day—You’re Invited
At Aksentis, an exemplary culture of order is maintained every season. This is exactly where, on August 8, 2025, the 10th International GRIMME Field Day will take place. “We don’t want surprises like last year—better stability. Let’s hope for good weather and meaningful conversations,” Khavanov sums up.
Direct Quotes
- On Agrotrade’s focus: “Odd as it sounds, we’re first and foremost a potato company—and the new projects, Aksentis included, are entirely about potatoes.”
- On the seed cycle: “Any changes today—expect the effect in 2029.”
- On entering the sector: “₽3 million per hectare, irrigation is a must. Start with ‘for whom’ and ‘what’.”
- On Aksentis: “It’s a system of processes. We’re not rebuilding—we’re boosting efficiency.”
Aksentis Fact Sheet
- Seed production: 16–20 thousand t/year
- Storage: 30 thousand t, of which ≈10 thousand t containerized
- Field team: 20 machine operators
- Customers: >70% to processing
- Features: light soils (faster field entry), dustiness (higher sanitation & ventilation demand)
Thanks for the warm welcome and open conversation. Visits like this are about people, processes, and decisions that make the sector stronger. Onward along the route of the International Potato Tour!
