Russian farmers collected 966.7 thousand tons of protected ground vegetables from January – September 2019, of which 897.0 thousand tons in winter greenhouses, which is 13.5% higher than the level of 2018 (790.4 thousand tons).
According to recent reports as of October 22, 2019, 547.7 thousand tons of greenhouse cucumbers were harvested, which is 12.8% more compared to the same period in 2018 (485,5 thousand tons), as well as 336,8 thousand tons of tomatoes which is 15.2% more than in the same period last year (292,4 thousand tons).
This year, the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia expects a record volume of vegetable production in winter greenhouses - 1.2 million tons, which is 18% higher than the target (1.02 million tons) and 20% higher than in 2018 (1 million tons).
Top performing regions are Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, the Lipetsk and Moscow Regions, and the Republic of Bashkortostan.
In recent years, the Russian greenhouse vegetable industry has demonstrated a significant investment boost. Over the past five years, more than 1 thousand ha of high-tech greenhouse complexes have been built and modernized. In 2018, 350 hectares of greenhouses were commissioned and modernized. The total area of winter greenhouses over the years increased to 2.5 thousand hectares, which is a quarter higher than in 2014.
New greenhouses significantly exceed previously built ones in terms of production performance resulting in production volumes increase by 65% compared to 2014. By 2025, it is planned to increase production to 1.5 million tons per year.