Russia is one of the states with significant volumes of production and consumption of potatoes. With a population of 3% of the world, Russia accounts for about 13% of the total gross potato harvest. The reduction in the consumption of livestock products and sugar due to the decrease in real incomes of the population is to some extent compensated for the consumption of potatoes: per capita, it increased from 106kg in 1990 to 123kg in 1998.

The growth in consumption of potatoes is largely ensured by its production on personal subsidiary plots of the population.

The value of the potato is determined not only by its role in human nutrition. It is an important technical and forage crop. Alcohol, starch, molasses, and a number of other products are produced from potatoes. Potato starch is widely used in food, textile, paper-cardboard and other industries.

Potatoes as a row crop are a good predecessor for cultivating marginal soils. With proper care, the field after the potatoes remains clean. Potatoes are responsive, and fertilizers: per unit of active substance of mineral fertilizers, they produce more products than other crops.

The economy of potato production is significantly influenced by the specific features of the industry. Potato growing is one of the few branches of agriculture where personal subsidiary plots of the population prevail in the total volume of production; this industry is characterized by low marketability, production instability, high labor intensity, etc.

In Russia, the potato market is not developed, which does not allow counting on guaranteed interregional supplies of it in the amount of full demand, necessitates self-sufficiency in products even in regions unfavorable for the development of the industry. There is a set of varieties adapted to various environmental conditions, as well as techniques that contribute to the adaptation of the culture to local conditions.

Potato growing is mainly concentrated in suburban farms around large cities and industrial centers to provide the population with food or in the zones of processing enterprises to provide them with raw materials.

2. Efficiency of potato production and ways to improve it.

It is expedient to determine the economic efficiency of potato production taking into account its economic purpose. The efficiency of cultivation of potatoes for food purposes is determined by the following indicators: yield with the release of productivity of early and late varieties, the yield of standard tubers from 1 hectare, costs for 1 centner of early and late potatoes, unit cost, profit per 1 hectare of planting area, the level of profitability of production of all tubers, as well as early and late. Ware potatoes must meet standard quality requirements.

The economic efficiency of potato production for processing at distillery and starch factories is characterized by the following indicators: yield, starch output per hectare, labor productivity, cost of 1 centner of tubers and 1 centner of starch, profitability.

During the years of the agrarian reform, the economic efficiency of potato production at agricultural enterprises has decreased.

Potato growing along with vegetable growing is one of the most labor-intensive branches of agriculture. Labor costs for 1 centner of potatoes in 1998 amounted to 3.5 man-hours. The high labor intensity is due to the peculiarities of the production technology. The most laborious processes are the preparation of seeds for planting and harvesting. Harvesting accounts for 45-60% of total labor costs. The introduction of in-line mechanized harvesting technology cuts labor costs by 2 times. A significant amount of manual labor is used to harvest potatoes; with the help of combines harvested less than half of the crops of potatoes.

The problem of increasing yields should be addressed in a comprehensive manner. Scientific research and best practices have shown that potato yield is determined not by a random combination of favorable conditions, but by constantly acting factors, which include:

placement of crops;

seed quality;

the level of application of mineral and organic fertilizers;

the level of mechanization of production processes;

Labour Organization.

A rational combination of these factors contributes to high productivity.

Further intensification of potato growing is largely associated with the introduction of varietal crops of potatoes. Today their share is less than 50%.

Factors that increase the effective soil fertility play an important role in increasing the yield of potatoes. So, 1kg d.v. mineral fertilizers add 40-50 kg of potato tubers.

To reduce losses, storage of potatoes in places of production is of great importance, which, in comparison with storage in places of consumption, allows to reduce transport costs per 1 ton of sold potatoes. At the same time, the volume of transportation is reduced, since the waste remains on the farms and can be used in animal husbandry.

Test questions and tasks

1. What is the national economic importance of potato growing?

2. What are the features of the development and distribution of potato growing?

3. List the main indicators of the economic efficiency of potato production.

4. What are the ways to improve the efficiency of potato production?

Russia is one of the countries with significant volumes of potato production and consumption. With a population of 3% of the world, Russia accounts for about 13% of the total gross harvest of this crop. On average for 2009-2011 its production per capita was 200 kg, and its consumption was 110 kg per year at the recommended rate of 95-100 kg. The decline in the consumption of livestock products and the decline in real incomes are to a certain extent offset by the growth in the consumption of potatoes provided by the households.

In our country, the bulk of potatoes is consumed fresh, the share of its industrial processing is insignificant. In favorable years, 5-8% of the gross harvest of potatoes was used for processing, while, for example, in the United States, about 60% of all potatoes are sent for these purposes and more than 50 types of finished products and semi-finished products are produced from it.

The value of the potato is determined not only by its role in human nutrition. It is also an important technical and forage crop. Alcohol, starch, molasses, and a number of other products are produced from potatoes. Potato starch is widely used in food, textile, paper and cardboard and other industries.

With modern processing technology, 170 kg of starch and 1000 kg of pulp or 112 liters of alcohol and 1500 liters of stillage are obtained from 1 ton of potato tubers with a starch content of 17.5%.

Small and non-standard potato tubers and waste obtained during its processing are used as feed for farm animals. Due to their high digestibility, potato tubers are valuable feed for pigs and poultry, but they are expensive compared to forage crops. Potatoes are a bulky product, therefore, when used as animal feed, the costs of preparing for feeding are high.

Potatoes as a row crop are a good predecessor that allows you to cultivate marginal soils and effectively use sandy loam soils. With proper care, the field after it remains clean. Potatoes are responsive to fertilizers. For the unit of active substance of mineral fertilizers, it gives more products than other crops.

The economy of potato production is significantly influenced by the specifics of the industry: products of households prevail in the total volume of production, low marketability, production is unstable, labor intensity is high, etc.

In Russia, the potato market is not developed, which does not allow counting on guaranteed interregional supplies of it in the amount of full demand, necessitates self-sufficiency in products even in regions with unfavorable conditions for the development of the industry. There is a range of varieties adapted to different environmental conditions, as well as potato growing techniques aimed at adapting to local conditions.

In the Russian Federation, potatoes are grown everywhere, but its main production is concentrated in three federal districts: Central - 29.6%, Privolzhsky - 25.6, Siberian - 17.8%. These districts account for 73% of the gross harvest of potatoes.

During the years of agrarian transformations, the area of ​​potato planting in our country decreased by 30.2%, and its yield increased from 108 to 148 centners per hectare, or 37%. This made it possible to maintain the volume of potato production at the same level (Table 23.1).

Table 23.1

Dynamics of potato production in the Russian Federation (in farms of all categories)

In some Western European countries, potato yields exceed 300 centners per hectare. So, in Denmark it is 416 c / ha, in the UK - 436, in Germany and Belgium - 423 c / ha.

Potato production is shifting from agricultural enterprises to households. The share of households accounts for 79.6% of the industry's production. The share of agricultural enterprises in the total volume of potato production is about 13.0%, of farms - 7.4%.

However, the marketability of potato growing in agricultural enterprises is more than 85%, and in households - less than 17%.

The low level of marketability is explained by the fact that over 30% of the gross harvest of this crop is used for seeds. In addition, due to the biological characteristics of potatoes in the crop, the presence of small and non-standard tubers in the amount of 20-30% of the gross harvest is inevitable. In households, potatoes are mainly used for self-sufficiency in foodstuffs. A significant part of it is spent on fodder for livestock. The population sells potatoes to the state, consumer cooperatives and markets.

The industry is mainly concentrated in suburban farms around large cities and industrial centers to provide them with potatoes, or in the zones of processing enterprises to provide them with raw materials.