In 3 hectares of greenhouse in Sochi, southern Russia, cucumbers are being cultivated. The management of the Verlioka greenhouse have plans to expand production, which currently stands at 800 tons per season. The harvest recently began in the greenhouse with the youngest plants, it’s one of the smaller greenhouses but within a week 2-3 tons of cucumber will be collected. Victor Kolesnikov, chief agronomist of Verlioka, states, “In October we can collect a maximum of 40 tons from the greenhouse. This is because light is a limiting factor. From October 15 it becomes darker.”
Cucumbers are grown here year-round on a cotton mineral wool substrate. An automatic dripper system provides the roots with nutrients and in sunny weather, the crop is watered every 25 minutes; the nutrients are balanced, “creating a desired level of taste and quality,” continues Kolesnikov.
The company now supplies its products to the wholesale market in Sochi. But, the organization are currently working at zero or even at a loss, because competition is so high in the summer. Right now they are preparing for the company’s reconstruction. Design work is underway to expand production. Depending on subsidies, the area of the greenhouses could almost double. And 80 new jobs may be created. “If we can make such an expansion, I don’t think anyone else will bring cucumbers to Sochi. Now we sell cucumbers for €0.28 a kilo and produce 800 tons a season. After the reconstruction this will increase to 5,500 tons,” added Vladimir Hristakyan, Verlioka’s director.
In the near future the company also intends to buy an area of land in Krasnodar. Then, the company will be able to not only supply to Sochi, but the region’s other cities.