At the “All-Russian Field Day – 2026” held in the Altai Territory, the development of domestic seed breeding emerged as a key topic, with participants concluding that Russian agricultural science is ready for large-scale implementation – particularly in the production of french fries. The spotlight fell on the variety “Vostorg” (meaning “Delight”), bred by the Lorch Federal Research Center for Potato specifically for processing. Its elongated tubers are ideal for cutting, the flesh does not darken during frying, and the variety is drought-resistant, yielding up to 70 tons per hectare under optimal conditions. Already registered in the State Register for the Central Black Earth region, it has proven itself as a worthy competitor to foreign counterparts.
The variety’s success is backed by real industrial numbers: in 2025, the major domestic processor “Vi Fry” processed over 1,000 tons of “Vostorg,” and plans to increase that figure to 3,000 tons in 2026. The company’s plant in the Lipetsk region, which accounts for 97% of Russia’s frozen potato production, supplies fries to major fast-food chains including Vkusno – i Tochka, Rostic’s, and Burger King, covering about 60–70% of the domestic market demand. According to Vi Fry’s agromanager, the variety undergoes rigorous testing for dry matter content, tuber length, and other parameters, and consistently passes all checks. With new processing plants, such as the one Vkusno – i Tochka is building with Miratorg in the Oryol region (scheduled for autumn 2026), domestic french fries production is clearly becoming a major trend.
