Governor Mr. Andrey Vorobyov has visited the agricomplex Ivansovo in Electrostal, where tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce will be grown in the amount of 21 thousand tons a year. According to Mr. Vorobyov, the Moscow region will soon be able to produce vegetables itself and the investors will build over 150 ha of greenhouses, allowing for the creation of 2 thousand employment places. New complexes will appear not only in Electrostal but also in the Voskresensk area, Luhovitsy, Kashira, and the Serpuhov area.
ON THE WAY TO LEADERSHIP
During the excursion around the complex, the governor underlined that by the end of 2018 Moscow region will be one of the five major regions growing vegetables in greenhouses.
“Two years ago we were approximately on the 40th place in terms of greenhouse vegetables produced. This year we started with the 9th position”, remarked Mr. Vorobyov. “By the end of the year we will have become one of the top five regions in terms of cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and bell peppers production.
Agricomplex Ivanisovo will be providing the population of Moscow, its region and other cities of the Central Federal District with fresh organic produce all year round. The planned production volume is 21 thousand tons per year with the expected crop of 135 kilos of cucumbers per 1 square meter and 72.6 tomatoes per square meter. It will take a little less than a year to achieve the projected levels.
The construction of a high tech enterprise is a step towards the federal food security program and also an important step in the innovation development of the agriculture of Moscow region, noted the representatives of the regional Ministry of agriculture.
UNIQUE PROJECT
The investor, group of companies Victoria Estate, spent over 85 million Euro on the project. According to the Deputy of the general director of Victoria Estate on investment development and GR, Mr. Vahtang Sagarejshvilli, the greenhouse complex has been built in accordance with the contemporary European technology. The newest Dutch equipment allows for automatic control of the air temperature, humidity and lighting. All that enables receiving quality crop without disruptions.
For the time being over 1.2 thousand tons of cucumbers have been collected in Ivanisovo. The watering process in the greenhouses is fully automated. Complex equipment distributes water and fertilisers at a definite time and in the required amount. No pesticides are used, the plants are protected by the IPM insects. The complex occupies an area of 20.4 ha and comprises 10 blocks of seedlings and production departments. A logistics center, store house, boiler house and water-intake facility are present in the area.
The local population displays interest in Ivanisovo not only from the customer’s point of view: over 400 people can find employment here.
Svetlana Efremova moved to Moscow region from the Crimea in 1999 and five years ago settled down in Electrostal. Before the complex was built, she had to travel two stations by train to a working place in Moscow, getting up at 3 am. Everything has changed for her since the enterprise opened. “We work here in the seedlings department since the first day. It is very easily accessible”, tells Ms. Efremova. “We are contented with everything: the management understands our needs and is receptive to them. Salaries are paid on time”.
MORE THAN VEGETABLES
The agreement on construction of the greenhouse in Electrostal was signed by the Moscow region administration and group of companies Victoria Estate in 2017 within the International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg. This year the investor has been granted support from the regional authorities for the construction of the second phase of greenhouses.
The agreement for the project Bogorodskie Ovoschi in Electrostal was also signed within the forum. The enterprise with 250 employees will become operational in October of the current year. It will grow 19 thousand tons of vegetables a year, mainly cucumbers. The investor is planning to spend 57.6 million Euro on it.
However, the investor is not going to be satisfied only with vegetables. At the same time, the construction of a mushroom farm with the capacity of 5 thousand tons per year is going on. It will also be located in Electrostal. The investments in the project amount to 20.5 million Euro, 75 new employment places will be created. The complex should be launched in the end of the year.
Moreover, Victoria Estate are planning to build a strawberry production complex with the usage of Japanese technology. The governor supported the initiative having noted that strawberries have a good export potential.
In all by 2020 the group of companies are planning to launch 120 ha of greenhouses. Should the investor’s intentions come true, it will be the biggest project of its kind in the country, remarked Mr. Vorobyov.
NEW AGRICOMPLEXES
In 2013, the region barely met its demand in vegetables by 10%. This year, according to the Minister of Food and Agriculture of Moscow region, Mr. Andrey Razin, the criteria will reach 100%. Within the last 3 years, Moscow region has become one of the leaders in greenhouse and field vegetable growth: in 2017, the region took the first position within the Central Federal District and the sixth in the whole of Russia.
Last year over 35 thousand tons of vegetables were collected in the regional greenhouses, the leaders being Kashira, Luhovitsy and Odintsovo region. The investors are planning to build 150 ha of greenhouses within the coming three years, which will create 2,000 employment places. New complexes will be build not only in Electrostal but also in Voskresenks area, Luhovitsy, Kashira and Serpuhov area.
Source mosregtoday.ru