[inglés] First strawberries planted in Russia

First strawberries planted in Russia

Recently, the first strawberries were planted in a huge greenhouse complex in Magadan, Russia. Our dealer Hortilife supplied a Sercom computer and equipment for this project.

[Unfortunately the video is not available in The Netherlands anymore]

The translation of the video (thanks to Google Translate) is as follows:

Strawberry seedlings of several varieties are planted indoors. Automatic drip irrigation system. Almost nothing is done manually here. Immediately after planting the plants, everything will be under the control of high technologies.

Vladimir Moiseenko, chief agronomist of the Talaya greenhouse complex Here, 430 square meters. Strawberry Sanction and San Andres. They are planted in a coconut substrate.

Air recirculation system, artificial fog and much more that have not even been heard of at any greenhouse complex in the region. The whole process is monitored by a computer. Everything is under control: humidity, air and sunlight, temperature.

Alexander Kirichenko, PC operator of the Talaya greenhouse complex. Different in each department. The set temperature, for example, in the tomato or cucumber department is 18 degrees. The computer fully regulates the operating mode.

You can enter the territory only after special sanitisation. Everything in the greenhouse complex is absolutely sterile, like in an operating room. Employees in special suits and white coats. The fact is that the complex is completely protected from the penetration of foreign bacteria from the outside, now it is important to protect the plants from the inside as well. The complex of 16 thousand square meters in one of the coldest places in the world, in winter in the village of Talaya up to 60 degrees of frost, was built in just five months. It could have been faster, but the delivery of materials was complicated by the epidemiological situation. Because of her, the arrival of the Dutch specialists, who set up the equipment and trained employees, was postponed. One of them still helps agronomists and even speaks a little Russian.

Peter Beukenkamp, ​​Engineer at Hortilife: It’s winter here, it’s impossible, the sun is not enough. And the newest technologies are delivered here.

The complex’s new technologies and local features help to save energy. The fact is that underground hot springs are beating from the ground here, and they are used to heat greenhouses, saving on fuel. This and large volumes will allow to keep prices for products at a level much lower than the residents of the region are accustomed to, promises an investor, a large gold miner Alexander Basansky.

Alexander Basansky, investor, general director of the «Arbat» concern. We plan for a year about a thousand tons of tomatoes and cucumbers. And anywhere from three to five tons of strawberries. This is the first step. We do not exclude the possibility that in addition to this complex there will be another one. We are able to finance all this. We did not take a ruble from any bank.

The complex will give the first strawberry harvest in June, and they plan to harvest tomatoes and cucumbers in May.

Sergei Nosov, Governor of the Magadan Region: We will need to think at the legislative level how to make sure that strawberries and tomatoes, cucumbers, salads are delivered primarily to our preschool institutions, children’s nutrition in kindergartens and schools today is our task, which the president has set before us.

The new greenhouse complex in the Talaya settlement will operate all year round, which is also unique for the cold Kolyma region. Thanks to him, the region plans to largely replace the expensive and not always high-quality imported products with their products.