Potatoes are the most common vegetable, eaten almost all over the world. We cannot imagine our life without him. However, not everyone knows that you can start a potato business. How to do this, you will read below.
Advantages of business
First, let's figure out why it's worth doing this kind of thing. The following business advantages can be highlighted.
- High profitability, which is about 160%. Potatoes are a product that is always in demand, especially in cities where there are practically no land plots or they are too small.
- It is enough to purchase several small tractors.
However, it should be noted that growing potatoes is associated with certain difficulties. First of all, the yield depends on the type of planting material, weather conditions and the degree of plant protection from pests.
Naturally, the soil requires periodic fertilization and rest. There are other costs, for example, fuels and lubricants, but the profitability of the business outweighs all the shortcomings. Moreover, you can organize such a business in a relatively small area.
What do you need to start?
If you are going to engage in this process seriously, then a business plan for growing potatoes involves collecting some documents. There are not many of them. All you need to do is register a private enterprise, and also periodically control products using a sanitary station.
Naturally, your soil must also meet safety standards. That is, you should not cross the permissible limit of nitrates or other substances that you will introduce into the soil. Of course, you also need start-up funds that you can invest in the business.
Features of soil preparation and planting vegetables
In order for potato production to be profitable, it is necessary to take care in advance of the soil in which your “gold” will grow. So, planting is done quite early, when the soil has already warmed up to +2 degrees. In addition, it must be plowed and fertilized. If there is little organic matter in the soil, and it is freezing outside, then it may simply freeze, then the planting material will be of no use.
Vermicompost, wood ash, and bird droppings can be used as fertilizer. That is, soil enrichment can be easily done as cheaply as possible. As for landing, it has its own characteristics. For example, the depth of the hole should not exceed 7 cm, and the distance between the rows should not exceed 80 cm. At the same time, it is necessary to retreat 10 cm between the bushes so that the tubers can grow.
In addition, potatoes can be greened in advance. That is, you can plant it with green sprouts. This process should take place in the maximum amount of sunlight, but without direct exposure to the rays.
Selection of seed
A business plan for growing potatoes also includes the correct selection of source material. It must be of high quality, since even under ideal conditions, degenerate seeds will not give a good harvest. All you need is to purchase new tubers in a store, farm or online. Moreover, this should be done in early spring. Then the new variety can be planted for several years in a row until it degenerates.
Please note that the seeds must have the same shape and size. The final product will also have the same potato size. In order to select material for the next planting, try to dig up the tubers 3 weeks after the bushes begin to flower. In this case, choose thick stems of the same height. Naturally, you should note which variety was dug and when.
Cultivation care
In order to develop potato growing as a business, you must take care of the bushes. For example, it is necessary to organize proper watering of plants. For this purpose, professional drip irrigation is used, equipped with soil moisture sensors and automated operation. That is, if it rains heavily, the system will not work until the humidity level drops below the required level. In addition, the liquid should not get on the leaves and flowers.
Another important criterion is regular fertilization of the bushes. To do this, mineral and organic products should be used simultaneously. Potatoes can be processed before planting, as well as during growth.
Naturally, a hilling procedure must be carried out, which not only allows air access to the potatoes, but also prevents weeds from growing. It needs to be done several times (at least 2).
Elimination of weeds and pests
No matter how good the business plan for growing potatoes turns out to be, a good harvest depends on the effectiveness of pest and weed control. In the second case, both mechanical and chemical removal of unnecessary plants can be carried out. Naturally, the second type of event is used in large areas.
As for pests, especially the Colorado potato beetle, you can’t do without poison. Potatoes can be treated with pesticides before or after planting. In the first case, each vegetable is dipped in liquid. In this case, the beetles will not land on already green bushes.
Product processing and storage
Processing potatoes is a procedure that may already be carried out by completely different people. Your task is to properly process the material, as well as create all the conditions for proper storage. So, 40 days before you plan to plant potatoes, you need to spray a specially prepared solution on them. It is made from water (10 l), copper sulfate (20 g) and borax (100 g). It is necessary to process the tubers from all sides.
Now let's look at the features of storing potatoes. All storage facilities must meet the required standards. This is the most important thing for you, because it determines how long the tubers can last and how much of the total mass will need to be thrown away in case of rotting (damage by rodents). That is, the room must have an optimal level of humidity and a certain temperature (for winter storage).
In addition, try to protect the warehouse from rodents and other pests.
Features of sales and profitability of goods
A business selling potatoes can be very profitable. Naturally, before starting it, you will have to find those people who will buy the product. To do this you need to research the market. You can offer your products to retail chains. At the same time, you must ensure that your product is of high quality: adhere to the actual shelf life, make sure that the vegetables are not damaged. To do this, substandard goods should be quickly removed from shelves.
You can also sell potatoes at the market. In addition, with good promotion and excellent product quality, you will soon have wholesale customers. It’s good if you trade when prices are rising.
As for profitability, from 1 hectare of territory you can get about 20 tons of product using only 1 ton. At the same time, you must be sure to plant, care for, dig and store potatoes correctly. Of course, you can’t grow your business without start-up costs. Therefore, further you will find out exactly what you will have to spend money on.
Financial expenses
A high-quality business plan for growing potatoes involves certain material investments. So, what should you spend your money on:
- Purchase of product (500 kg of varietal potatoes - about $700, with ordinary seeds costing approximately $150 per half ton).
- Fertilizers and pesticides – up to $220.
- Rental of heavy equipment for tillage – 10 USD. e. per hour of work. At the same time, you have the opportunity to purchase your own mechanisms.
- Packaging for potatoes - about 75 USD. e.
- Fuels and lubricants – from $500.
- Workers' wages – from 500 USD. e.
- Warehouse rent is approximately $800-1000 per month.
That is, the total cost is approximately 3500 USD. e. However, with high-quality planting, care, storage and timely sales, the profit from 20 tons is $5,000. Naturally, there may be more.
The increase in the amount of profit depends only on your invested labor and successful marketing, as well as the methods of caring for plants and the size of the planting area. So if you have your own land on which you can build a warehouse for products and a garage for equipment, then business costs can be significantly reduced. So develop a detailed plan for implementing this idea and go for it.
We offer you another business plan: growing potatoes. Such a business is one of the most profitable if it is carried out in favorable conditions for the crop being grown. This business will be a big plus for residents of warm areas in the winter, when in the middle zone the price of potatoes doubles. Find more business ideas in the article:
Business plan “Growing potatoes for sale” - costs for seed potatoes
Our business plan is based on 30 acres of land (3,000 m2). To sow one hundred square meters you will need about 30 kg of seed potatoes. You need to use potatoes that are the size of a chicken egg or a little larger. We do not recommend taking very large potatoes.
So, for our 30 acres we will need 900 kg of seed potatoes. The price of 1 kg of this crop is on average 20 rubles, that is, to sow the entire area you need to spend about 18,000 rubles.
We buy fertilizers
Without fertilizers, the mass cultivation of potatoes can be reduced to nothing. Since favorable black soil for cultivation is not present everywhere, you need to fertilize the soil with the following components:
Potassium superphosphate
Potassium permanganate
Ammonium sulfate
Superphosphate and potassium sulfate
Ash
All this will require about 17 rubles per square meter, and for 3,000 m2 - 51,000 rubles.
Colorado beetles are your business's enemy No. 1
The main pest of potato crops is the Colorado potato beetle. We do not recommend spraying potatoes with chemicals ahead of time. But you will still have to monitor the growth of the crop and periodically check it for the absence or presence of pests. Means to combat this insect will not cost much - about 2,500 rubles for 30 acres.
Let's summarize all expenses
So, our business plan for growing potatoes for sale requires 30 acres of land. Since you are wondering about this kind of business, we assume that you already have land. Therefore, we do not include land costs in our calculations.
To sow 30 acres you will need:
900 kg of potatoes – 18,000 rubles
Fertilizers – 51,000 rub.
Drug against Colorado potato beetles – 2,500 rubles
Total: RUB 71,500
Income and profit
Planted potatoes take about 3 months to grow. After this time, from one hundred square meters you will dig up about 200 kg instead of the planted 30 kg, and from the entire area - 6 tons.
The retail selling price of 1 kg of potatoes in summer is 20 rubles per 1 kg, in winter – 40 rubles. It turns out that in the summer your income will be 120,000 rubles, and in the winter – 240,000 rubles. Net profit, respectively, is 48,500 and 168,500 rubles.
It is worth noting that each of the farmer-businessmen in such a business has his own approach. Every year, new and improved potato planting techniques and preparations for enhanced crop growth appear. Each of them, in practice, selects their only secret method for increasing potato yields. Pick it up too, and then your profit will double or triple!
Turkey rearing. Profitable business with minimal investment! Growing champignon mushrooms as a business. A profitable, fast-paying investment.
Everyone in Russia knows what potatoes are. It is the most consumed vegetable in our kitchens. Remember the movie “Girls”, where the cook told a team of lumberjacks what could be made from potatoes. One can even say that potatoes are a strategic product for our country, therefore its cultivation, as well as the purchase of seed funds, is supported by the state.
After the collapse of collective farms, many rural residents became farmers and began to grow potatoes. But as the cost of fuel and worn-out equipment increased, everything led to the fact that weak farms went bankrupt. It should also be added that in our country there is only potato growing, but its processing is practically absent and this is a new and large field for business development.
In our article we will try to understand it using a small example about growing potatoes as a business or, more simply, growing potatoes for sale. How much can you earn from this seasonal business, how to develop a business plan for growing potatoes. But we will start with preparing the soil for growing potatoes, choosing planting material and fighting beetles.
Growing potatoes for sale
Selection of seed
Potato varieties should be carefully selected for planting. The varieties grown in Belarus are completely unsuitable for planting in the Urals, etc. Early-ripening, mid-ripening and universal potato varieties are used for cultivation.
Let's look at potato varieties using the example of the Ural region. Early varieties include the varieties “Governor”, “Vineta”, “Lyubava”, “Bullfinch”, “White Spring”. Ripening occurs in 60-70 days, yield is from 270 to 400 centners per hectare. Mid-season varieties - “Crown”, “Lukyanovsky”, “Equator”, “Bezhitsky”, “Effect”, “Aspia”. Ripening is 70-80 days, yield is from 30 to 50 tons per hectare. The main seed material in the Urals are universal varieties. These varieties are used in garden plots; they perform well in unfavorable weather conditions. These varieties are: “Spiridon” (red potatoes, oval, ripening 90-110 days, yield 138-278 centners per hectare) and “Sante” (yellow potatoes, smooth, ripening 80-90 days, yield 0.8-1 kilogram per bush).
The cost of seed potatoes is from 8 to 30 rubles per kilogram. Seed potatoes are cheaper in the fall and more expensive in the spring. It is also unknown how seed potatoes were stored, so it is recommended to purchase them in the fall. For our calculations, we will accept the cost of planting material as 25 rubles per kilogram.
Potato growing technology. Features of soil preparation and planting potatoes
In the Urals, potatoes are planted no earlier than mid-May; the soil temperature should warm up to 8 degrees. Only sprouted potatoes are used for planting. It is better if the planned rows of your planted potatoes are directed from north to south. This arrangement will allow you to get better lighting for potato bushes.
The distance between rows should be 70 cm; for industrial cultivation, one meter is better. The potato planting depth is 5-8 centimeters. It is better to pour ash into each hole to control pests or treat planting material with it. After the potatoes are planted, the ground should be leveled, preferably with a rake or hoe.
The best watering for potatoes is when the tubers are gaining weight, late June - July. In villages, potatoes are earthed up a month after planting by raking the soil around the bush. According to the rules, hilling is carried out in three stages. The first time is after the first three leaves appear on the bush, the second time is 2-3 weeks after the first time, the last time is before the tops close. On large areas, as a rule, they hill up twice. Weeding is done as needed.
Fertilizer for growing potatoes. During the emergence of the first leaves, do the first feeding (10 liters of water, 1 tablespoon of urea and 0.5 liters of mullein), the second feeding during budding (10 liters of water, 1 tablespoon of potassium sulfate and 2-3 tablespoons of ash), the third feeding - at the time of flowering (for 10 liters of water, 2 tablespoons of superphosphate and 200 grams of mullein or chicken droppings).
Pest Control
Enemies of the potato crop can be: the Colorado potato beetle, wireworm, mole cricket and potato nematode. For late blight, the remedy “Pennkozeb” or “Ditan M-45” is suitable (spraying during the growing season, the second with an interval of 7-14 days), for wireworms or the Colorado potato beetle, you should treat the tubers or treat the bottom of the furrow during planting with the means “Tabu”, etc. To preserve the harvest, carefully consider the choice of pest control treatment.
Our expenses for this item are mullein 3,000 rubles, pest control 2,000 rubles.
What do you need to start a business growing potatoes for sale?
If you live in a village, then you should already have tools such as a shovel, hoe and pitchfork. If you are a city resident, then first you should either buy or rent a plot of land, at least 30 acres. The cost of purchasing a plot of land for agricultural production will be approximately 5,000 rubles per hundred square meters, the total cost of the plot will be 150,000 rubles, renting a plot of 30 hectare for the entire period of potato growth will cost you 3,000 rubles. If you do not have a tool in the form of a shovel or hoe, then for calculation we take its cost in the amount of 1,000 rubles. For the initial digging of the site, its harrowing and hilling, you can use a cultivator; the cost of such a one-time service is 2,000 rubles for such a site. If you decide to constantly earn money by growing potatoes, we recommend purchasing a cultivator as your own.
We accept for calculation: rent of a plot 3,000 rubles, tools 1,000 rubles, rent of a cultivator 6,000 rubles.
Let's summarize all expenses
Land plot rent 3,000 rubles, tools and cultivator rental 7,000 rubles. Planting material (15-25 kilograms per hundred square meters) 20 kilograms per hundred square meters, cost will be 20*25*30=15,000 rubles. Other expenses, fuel and lubricants will amount to 5,000 rubles. Total expenses 30,000 rubles.
Calculation of profit from growing potatoes
The average potato yield is 200 kilograms per hundred square meters. We put 10% on rotten and chopped potatoes, and we end up with (200*30)-10% = 5,400 kilograms. The sales price is 15 rubles per kilogram, the proceeds will be 81,000 rubles. Our estimated profit from growing potatoes on a plot of 30 acres is 51,000 rubles.
Conclusion
Many people ask: is it profitable to grow potatoes for sale? Potato business is always profitable, since this product will always find its buyer. This calculation was made for a small area, without the use of agricultural machinery and auxiliary workers, without warehousing and storing potatoes in a vegetable storehouse. Therefore, if you decide to take a serious approach to the business of growing potatoes, already on a production scale, possibly with further processing, then start with the main thing. The main thing in this business is to preserve the harvest, i.e. vegetable store.
In Russia, as is known, potato- second bread. The appearance of potatoes in Russia is associated with the activities of Peter I. However, potatoes became most widespread in Russia in the 19th century. Since then, potatoes can be considered one of the favorite agricultural crops of Russians. And if not everyone likes to grow potatoes, then everyone loves to eat them. Well, or almost everything.
If you have no desire to grow potatoes for sale yourself, we connect to potato business as an intermediary.
The essence of the idea is very simple and uncomplicated - we buy potatoes during the harvest season (August-September), we sell them at the peak of the rise in potato prices - from December to June.
In the fall of 2014, the price per kilogram of potatoes at agricultural fairs was at the level of 12-14 rubles per kilogram (this is the selling price to a retail buyer). In the winter of 2014-2015, the store price of potatoes fluctuates between 30-40 rubles. The cost of washed potatoes reaches 60 rubles and more.
Despite the difference in prices in different regions, and the level of inflation at different times, you can roughly imagine the order of the numbers. We sell for 3-7 times more expensive than we buy. Inflation is not a threat to this business.
Since there are no details here, you need to carefully think through all stages of the business - purchasing, storage, sales.
Purchase of potatoes
There are several options - purchasing from wholesale stores, purchasing from the population, purchasing at agricultural fairs, purchasing from farms or collective farms.
Purchasing at a wholesale base - everything is simple here. We come, buy, receive copies of the necessary documents for the products for further sale to the end consumer. When purchasing products from the population, we submit advertisements in the media about the purchase of potatoes.
We consider the most promising “topic” to be the purchase of potatoes directly “in the field”. The collective farm/farm does not spend money on packaging, sorting, transportation, or storage of products, so purchasing products directly “in the garden” is the most profitable option. In this case, it remains to think through a system for drying potatoes - you cannot store raw potatoes - this creates the preconditions for the rapid development of mold. There may also be problems with the documentation for a batch of potatoes (giving the right to retail sale) - the farm/collective farm may not have time to receive it from the relevant authorities by this time.
It's good if you have your own cargo transport. However, its absence is not an obstacle to running this business. We have been visiting nearby collective farms, state farms, and farms since the spring, and are clarifying under what conditions it is possible to purchase potatoes in the fall directly “from the garden.” Perhaps they will offer you their own transport to deliver products to their destination. As a last resort, you can rent a car for the required number of hours.
As one of the options, you can consider the issue of cooperation with a collective farm (another farm) - for example, the storage and sorting of potatoes is carried out by the collective farm, and you are engaged in the sale of collective farm products and have a certain percentage from this. However, the income in this case will be less than an “independent” business, but there will be less hassle.
You should not buy potatoes in areas where a phytosanitary quarantine zone has been established - there will be problems with sales. Information about this can be obtained in advance from the Federal Service for Veterinary and Sanitary Surveillance. There, by the way, you can immediately consult regarding obtaining the necessary documentation for selling potatoes - you are unlikely to be denied the amount of information that concerns this department.
Potato storage
To implement this business, you will need storage (cellar, caisson). If you have your own garage with a caisson, this is an additional plus. Although in any case, you will most likely have to rent a room, since a standard 2m*2m caisson won’t fit a lot of potatoes.
Before storing potatoes for storage, we immediately throw away tubers that contain signs of rot - otherwise very large losses are possible in the future.
It is also necessary to periodically sort potatoes during storage to avoid rotting, since any rot is a loss for business.
Potatoes should be stored in dry, cool, dark, ventilated storage at a temperature of +2C +4C with an air humidity of 85-95%. We lay previously dried (for example, in the sun) tubers. Typically, the height of filling tubers should not exceed 1-1.5 meters, but it all depends on the ventilation system. Some experts put leaves of certain plants (rowan, elderberry, etc.) in potatoes - this helps prevent rot.
Potatoes can be stored in bulk, in wooden boxes or bags.
With proper storage organization, the percentage of discarded spoiled potatoes can be minimized.
Selling potatoes
Here we divide buyers into wholesale buyers (shops, restaurants, cafes, canteens, schools, kindergartens), and retail buyers. When selling to stores, kindergartens, etc. It is necessary to have all the documents for the potatoes being sold, this is a prerequisite. Products can be sold to stores or offered for sale under the terms of a commission agreement.
Retail buyers, as a rule, are not very interested in documents - they usually ask the question “where are the potatoes from?” The verbal answer, as a rule, completely suits them. In principle, an ordinary consumer would be more willing to buy potatoes without documents from a collective farm from his own or a neighboring district of his region than potatoes from the other side of the world with documents in a store.
You can offer a discount to socially vulnerable segments of the population.
You can offer potatoes for delivery directly to the apartment, or to the cellar (caisson).
A very interesting option is the sale of washed potatoes. There is no need to wash in advance; it is better to wash the potatoes immediately before delivering the goods to the client (upon the client’s order, of course). Technically, we will not consider the issue of washing in depth - everyone can work on this on their own. Packing potatoes in containers of various sizes is also a plus - in bags of 3, 5, 10, 25 kilograms.
As a rule, if a client orders a batch of potatoes once and is completely satisfied with the quality and price, then in the future he becomes a regular customer.
And you need to love regular customers - periodically organize promotions, provide discounts, etc. It is not considered bad manners to call and offer a product to a customer who purchased potatoes from you some time ago (you can offer a discount as a regular customer). There is always a certain portion of customers who agree to buy more. If the buyer refuses, you can clarify the reason - perhaps the client was not satisfied with the taste of the potatoes. If the majority of clients indicate such a reason, then you will have to look for new suppliers.
What documents should I fill out for potatoes when selling them?
A declaration of conformity is issued for potatoes; it gives the right to sell potatoes in the territory of our country and the customs union. The declaration of conformity can only be issued to an organization or individual entrepreneur.
Submission of the declaration of conformity is carried out in accordance with the requirements of two current technical regulations of the Customs Union:
Technical Regulations of the Customs Union TR CU 021/2011 “On the safety of food products” (approved by Decision of the Customs Union Commission dated December 9, 2011 No. 880).
Technical Regulations of the Customs Union TR CU 022/2011 “Food products regarding their labeling” (approved by Decision of the Customs Union Commission dated December 9, 2011 No. 881).
The applicant has the right, in addition to the declaration, to also issue a voluntary certificate for potatoes. This document is not a permit for the sale of products on the territory of Russia - it only confirms compliance with Russian standards of those characteristics of potatoes that are not subject to mandatory verification during the declaration process. Consequently, a certificate for potatoes obtained on a voluntary basis contributes exclusively to increasing the competitiveness of this product.
In the process of reviewing documents, the necessary research and examination of the potato batch is carried out.
There is also another document for voluntary use. This is the national standard of the Russian Federation GOST R 51808-2013 (UNECE FFV-52:2010) "Wood potatoes. Technical conditions", modified in relation to the UNECE standard FFV-52:2010 concerning the marketing and control of commercial quality of early and ware potatoes , with an effective date of July 1, 2014, replacing GOST R 51808-2001. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with this document.
In Russia, legislators are very fond of frequently changing the regulatory framework (the “priority” is land legislation, tax legislation and everything related to doing business), constantly complicating the conditions for running a small business. Since the information may become outdated at any time, the easiest way to do this is to contact a wholesale warehouse or a collective farm/farm to purchase a small batch of potatoes for resale. We ask for certified copies of documents for the batch of potatoes (by the way, it is not a fact that you will be given all the necessary documents) in order to “sell potatoes in the store without problems with regulatory authorities.” Then we study the issued documents, contact the authorities that issued them, and receive the necessary advice to obtain documents for “our” batch of products.
Or you can contact specialized organizations in your city that provide such services - specialists from these companies will help you quickly and without bureaucratic delays obtain all the necessary documents from government agencies.
We highly recommend having it on sale potato all necessary documents. It's not that hard to get them if you want. You still have time before the season, so you will be able to find more detailed information on this issue on your own and study the necessary documents.
This business can be conducted by registering as an individual entrepreneur or opening an LLC. There is a very good video on the topic of choosing between individual entrepreneurs and LLCs with a comparative analysis of the main criteria, we recommend that you watch it. The video is located.
The food market is the future, so now it’s better not to miss the chance to carve out your niche in this market.
More information on this idea for starting and running a business can be obtained.