Vegetables in South Ossetia are a promising business: local vegetables are difficult to find in the Republic, as most are imported from Russia. Yet on the outskirts of the South Ossetia region, grower Soslan Tedeev is cultivating cucumbers and tomatoes in the greenhouse Vinogradnik year-round.
In one greenhouse, tomatoes are grown and the crop has already been harvested. In the second, cucumbers were planted just over a fortnight ago, they will mature in less than three months. According to worker Buri Odinaev the earth in the region is exceptional: “For growing fruit and vegetables, it’s better than you could ever imagine. Why import them from hundreds of kilometers away, when you can grow enough here for local needs and export.”
The greenhouse is capable of producing two crops a year, but between harvests, the soil must rest for two or three months. The crop is cultivated in an environmentally friendly way without the use of chemicals. The greenhouse was built in 2013 when Tedeev learned that the Ministry of Economy was giving commodity loans to farmers. With the loan, the farmer bought the frames for the greenhouse and used his own money to buy a heating system. Now it is the only greenhouse in the region with year-round vegetable production.
Tedeev plans to expand the greenhouse by means of a bank loan: ”These farms require large investments that take time to pay back.” It is also difficult for the farmer to find enough labourers, especially for the harvest.
Yet, despite the difficulties, Tedeev is sure that he has come across a great business opportunity; the farmer has no problem finding buyers as shops are happy to receive local produce, especially as it is half the price of the Russian imports.