Potato business: we grow and sell. All the intricacies of drawing up a business plan for growing potatoes

The younger generation of Russian villages and villages is universally striving for large cities. Such a craving for megacities is quite justified in a number of situations, for example, for getting an education or entering large sports schools. In a word, there are many justified reasons, but the truth and main goal of the majority is getting a job and then starting their own business. It is worth recognizing that cities, especially cities with populations of over a million people, do always require new specialists and there are many options for business there, but it is worth noting two important points.

The first is the presence of fierce competition and a number of bureaucratic and everyday problems, and the second point, about which F.M. Dostoevsky said: “After all, the village feeds the city.” You can live well anywhere, the main thing is to have a profitable and in-demand occupation. It's no secret that many city dwellers have their own summer cottages for growing food and raising birds and rabbits, and how many examples of wealthy farmers do we have in our country? But, for example, in the USA, farmers, livestock owners and owners of their own ranches are highly respected people with influence in the highest circles. From the above, the conclusion suggests itself that it is quite possible not to become dependent on the city yourself, but on the contrary - to become its breadwinner and then, albeit to a small extent, but still, the city will already depend on you.

So, let’s consider the option of running your own business – a potato business. Potatoes are in demand on the market all year round by all categories of people. This means that it is one of the staple foods and is simply consumed in huge quantities.

Growing potatoes requires strict adherence to the planned plan. Of course, a lot depends on weather factors, in particular on air temperature and amount of precipitation. The lack of moisture can be compensated for by watering, but it is difficult to deal with excess sunlight. There is only one way here - frequently spraying the leaves with water, and an irrigation system will be a good helper for this. The cost of such an installation may not be high, but it provides many advantages. The moistening process will be fully automated, which will save a lot of time and allow you to regulate the degree of soil saturation with water, and also save the foliage from drying out.

A lack of sun is unlikely to ruin the crop, but ripened potatoes will be small and of poor presentation, and they may not survive the winter. There is absolutely nothing that can be done here, although such cases are extremely rare. Try to analyze the long-term weather forecast before landing, so you will be aware of weather changes in advance. As practice shows, the Hydrometeorological Center provides reliable data regarding the coming season, and the average daily data is quite accurate for the entire period of the season. Make sure in advance that you have pest control equipment and all technical equipment.

During the ripening process, you may need to monitor the vegetables to protect them from encroachers; this point should also be taken into account. Many people plant onions and carrots between rows of potatoes; these vegetables fight a number of pests and help the soil, and they are also easy to care for and will provide material benefits. There will be no problems with their sale, since potato resellers, as a rule, deal in both onions and carrots.

The use of professional agricultural machinery significantly increases labor productivity

The potato growing business will require all your energy and complete dedication; you should not be mistaken and think that everything will be easy. But still, this is a very promising business.

Brief business plan for growing potatoes

It is advisable to take care of the sales market in advance, then you will save time and nerves, and the goods will not deteriorate. The average cost of selling to wholesalers is 20 rubles, and from one hundred square meters it turns out to be about 250 kg, further calculations are not difficult to make. Growing potatoes as a business can be quite a profitable activity and absolutely legal, which you will agree is important. But of course it is necessary to sow not just one hundred square meters of land, but entire fields.

If you take care of transport for delivery, this will reduce your costs significantly and help organize the sale of goods on time and at competitive prices. Growing potatoes is a seasonal business, but after earning money, you can find something to do for the winter.

• Market attractiveness
• Production plan
• Recruitment
• Risk assessment
• Financial plan
• Which taxation system to choose for business registration
• Growing technology
  • • • Similar business ideas:

Business plan for growing potatoes on a sown area of ​​10 hectares.

How much money do you need to start this business?

According to preliminary calculations, to open a potato growing farm you will need to invest at least 6,950,000 rubles:

• Registration of a land plot, making a deposit - 200,000 rubles.
• Purchase of equipment and machinery - RUB 2,450,000.
• Construction of a vegetable storage facility - 3,000,000 rubles.
• Purchase of planting material - 800,000 rubles.
• Primary tillage, application of fertilizers - 100,000 rubles.
• Business registration and other organizational expenses - 100,000 rubles.
• Reserve fund - 300,000 rubles.

Market attractiveness

Potatoes have become an integral part of the modern human diet. This is the second bread that can be found on almost every table. For some, especially rural residents, potatoes are the main product and the first among all vegetables. The average Russian eats no less than 80 kg of potatoes per year. This suggests that the demand for potatoes remains consistently high, so marketing the products will not be a big problem.

Step-by-step plan for opening a potato farm

Our farm plans for the current year include the following sequential actions:

1. Search and rent a plot of land from the municipality with an area of ​​10 hectares. The lease agreement is planned to be concluded for a period of 49 years with the right to purchase.
2. Business registration and collection of necessary documents. As an organizational form, it is planned to register a peasant farm (peasant farm) and switch to a single agricultural tax (Unified Agricultural Tax, 6% of profit).
3. Purchase the necessary equipment.
4. Hire staff.
5. Purchase planting material.
6. Till the soil and prepare it for sowing.
7. Carry out sowing work.
8. Monitor the growth of plantings, carry out all necessary measures for watering and processing plants.
9. Harvest
10. Carry out a number of marketing activities and sell the entire volume of grown products.

Description of products and technology

The crops on our farm will be grown according to the Mittlider method. According to this technology, planting material is planted in ridges half a meter wide, with wide (up to a meter) passages. The perimeter of the site is fenced with earthen beads in order to save water. Plants are subject to regular watering and fertilizing three times a season. Hilling potatoes using this technology is not required. This technology makes it possible to reduce the size of the area under potatoes by three times, while significantly increasing the yield of the crop. It is planned to produce up to 30 tons of marketable potatoes from one hectare (part of them will be used for planting material). Potatoes will be sold in bulk at an average annual price of 15 rubles/kg. In total, it is planned to produce and sell up to 300 tons of potatoes per year. The approximate annual turnover of the farm will thus be 4,500,000 rubles.

Download a business plan for growing potatoes

Production plan

To grow potatoes, the business plan provides for renting a land plot of 10 hectares. The land plot will be located 70 kilometers from a major city, which, on the one hand, allows for a guaranteed sales market, and on the other, significant savings on rent. Rental payments will amount to 240 thousand rubles per year.

What equipment to choose for growing potatoes

The use of technology will significantly reduce labor costs and increase farm efficiency. Therefore, it is planned to purchase the following machines:

• Tractor MTZ-80 (900 thousand rubles);
• A machine for inter-row tillage (350 thousand rubles);
• Potato planter (350 thousand rubles);
• Potato harvester (450 thousand rubles);
• Sorting line (400 thousand rubles).

In total, about 2.45 million rubles will be spent on the purchase of equipment and machinery. It is planned to purchase the elite mid-late potato variety “Golubizna” as planting material. The price per kilogram will be 40 rubles. About 800 thousand rubles will be spent on purchasing planting material. The construction of a modern vegetable storage facility will allow storing potatoes until the high season (spring), when the price of vegetables increases 2-3 times. Investments in the construction of a vegetable storage facility will amount to at least 3 million rubles.

Recruitment

As labor force, the farm will employ machine operators (2 people), general laborers for the harvest period (10 people), a mechanic (1 person), security guards for the summer period (3 people), a sales manager (1 person). ). Accountant services are planned to be provided under an outsourcing agreement. The total annual wage fund will be 550 thousand rubles.

Risk assessment

The risks of running this business are as follows:

1. Characteristic of all agriculture is complete dependence on weather conditions (drought);
2. Competition in the market, dumping;
3. Problems with selling products during the low season.

Financial plan

Fixed annual expenses

• Rent - 240,000 rub.
• Salary + insurance contributions - 715,000 rubles.
• Costs for soil treatment (fertilizers, watering, pest protection) - 150,000 rubles.
• Fuel and lubricants - 200,000 rub.
• Depreciation of equipment - 120,000 rubles.
• Equipment repair - RUB 80,000.
• The cost of storing the crop is 150,000 rubles.
• Accounting - 60,000 rub.
• Other expenses - 50,000 rubles.

Total - 1,765,000 rubles.

How much can you earn from growing potatoes?

Thus, the net profit of the farm for a year of operation will be 2,570,900 rubles, subject to 100% sales of all grown products. Under the most favorable circumstances, the return on the initial investment occurs already in the third year of operation. However, in practice, taking into account all the risks (weather, problems with sales, etc.), the return on investment will not occur earlier than in four years.

We recommend download business plan for growing potatoes, from our partners, with a quality guarantee. This is a full-fledged, ready-made project that you will not find in the public domain. Contents of the business plan: 1. Confidentiality 2. Summary 3. Stages of project implementation 4. Characteristics of the object 5. Marketing plan 6. Technical and economic data of the equipment 7. Financial plan 8. Risk assessment 9. Financial and economic justification of investments 10. Conclusions

Which OKVED code to indicate when registering a business?

To grow potatoes, you must indicate OKVED 2, Section A: Agriculture, forestry, fishing and fish farming: 01.1 Growing annual crops, 01.13 Growing vegetables, melons, root and tuber crops, mushrooms and truffles, 01.13.1 Growing vegetables, 01.13.12 Cultivation protected soil vegetables.

What documents are needed to open

Growing potatoes for sale in retail outlets will require registration of a peasant farm. Documents that will be required in this case:

• Registration application written by the entrepreneur and certified by a notary.
• Photocopies of passport and taxpayer ID code.
• Receipt for payment of state duty.

If you are starting a business with partners, you will also need to draw up an appropriate contract, which specifies: telephone numbers, the responsibilities of each entrepreneur, the procedure for accepting and leaving the business of its members.

Which taxation system to choose for business registration

Growing potatoes gives you the right to pay a single agricultural tax, the rate of which is 6%.

Do I need permission to open?

Growing technology

To increase the efficiency of growing potatoes, you must be guided by the features of the technology:

• Use only productive potato varieties with a high yield, from 30 tons per hectare.
• Compliance with the correct planting technology with a density of no more than 30 stems per square meter and a hole depth of less than 4 cm. The width between rows is from 60 to 80 cm.
• Timely control of pests and viruses, treatment and spraying against late blight 5 or more times per season.
• Dig up potatoes for seeds at the beginning of August, and for sale at the end.
• Maintaining crop rotation with alternating planting of potatoes and winter grains in the same place.

The idea that agricultural business is unprofitable is erroneous. Only those who either don’t understand anything about it, or don’t have patience, logical thinking and are not in the mood to work hard believe in it. There are a lot of areas of this type of activity, among which growing potatoes occupies a special place.

Pros and cons of the potato business

The main advantage is the high demand for such a common vegetable, which no family or person can do without almost every day. In terms of popularity, potatoes are not inferior to any other vegetable. Based on this, profitability b business on its cultivation can reach more than 160%.

Relatively small investment into business, the return of which can be obtained after the first harvest, is another pro factor.

By growing potatoes in small batches, you can save on tax payments, which in this case are not required.

If the soil is sufficiently enriched with organic fertilizers, you can do without fertilizers - this is also a clear plus.

The growing process does not require complex technological knowledge, and this product is in high demand all year round. And if you take care of good storage conditions and choose the moment of sale when potato prices are the highest, you can significantly increase your income.

Fast payback business is also a significant advantage.

Technique for potato growing you need a special, oversized one - plows, a mini-tractor, a hiller.

If speak about cons, then there are controversial points here. Many become fixated on the risks associated with weather conditions, which are not always favorable to the harvest or the quality of planting material, and the difficulties of pest control. However, all these problems can be overcome thanks to modern technology. If you use high-quality fertilizers and effective remedies against the Colorado potato beetle and diseases, then no climatic conditions will affect the harvest results.

Of course, one can name a serious disadvantage - this is the low price and cultivation only once a year in the warm season. But this problem is easy to solve if you make the right calculations and organize sales.

The business is seasonal, and in winter the farmer is practically left without work. But to consider this fact as an opportunity to engage in some other type of income-generating activity, it will not be a minus at all.

Features of growing potatoes

The success of a business depends on a professional approach to the implementation of the main production process. In our case, we are talking about the technology of growing potatoes.

There are two options: planting early ripening varieties in greenhouses at such a time that the potatoes are ripe by the beginning of spring, and growing them in the usual way in open ground.

If you are betting on getting a more significant profit, it is worth trying the first method, because early potatoes can be sold at a higher price. In this case, you need to take into account the upcoming costs of installing greenhouses. This option is more suitable for experienced potato growers who know all the intricacies of growing this vegetable.

It is better for a novice entrepreneur to choose the second method. Firstly, there are minimal costs, and secondly, the growing process itself is simple and familiar even to a non-professional.

Growing potatoes is not difficult, but you must follow the technology, which involves going through the following stages:

1. Purchasing planting material and preparing it for sowing.
2. Soil preparation.
3. Planting potatoes.
4. Hilling.
5. Treatment with special preparations against pests.
6. Fertilizing the soil.
7. Harvest.
8. Preparation of a special storage room.
9. Bulkhead, sorting.
10. Package.
11. Sales

Even with minimal business volumes it is impossible to do without special equipment, which will greatly facilitate soil cultivation, planting, care and harvesting of potatoes. To work on a land area of ​​half a hectare you must have:

• walk-behind tractor or small tractor;
• plow;
• hiller;
• device for digging potatoes.

It is in vain to wait for a good harvest if you do not take care of soil fertility. Experienced farmers use the following types fertilizers:

• ammonium sulfate;
• potassium sulfate;
• potassium superphosphate;
• vermicompost;
• ash.

To achieve fertile soil quality, you will have to incur fertilizer costs of about 20 rubles. per 1 sq. m of land. However, in reality, this is not a cost, but an investment, because fertilized land will return everything a hundredfold in the form of a high yield.

The main stumbling block in this business is Colorado beetle, which for many decades continues to be a clear threat to the potato crop. Unfortunately, we still have to use chemicals. According to average estimates, you will have to incur costs of approximately 3 thousand rubles to purchase funds from this insidious pest. on 35 acres of land.

Requirements for seed material

Any person who has ever grown potatoes for personal needs knows how important it is for planting material to be of high quality. For this there are requirements:

• Do not mix varieties.
• The size of the potatoes should be, if possible, the same.

Seed preparation begins in the fall. To do this, potatoes are sorted, giving preference to the healthiest ones (without suspicious spots, cuts, or other damage). The seed material is subjected to gardening, laid out in the light for 3 weeks (exclude direct sunlight).

For further storage, the seeds are sent to a warehouse with an air temperature of no more than +3 and high humidity (maximum 80%).

During the winter it is worth checking the condition of the seeds several times. If damaged copies appear, they must be immediately removed and discarded.

A month before planting, the seeds are brought out into the light in a place warmer than in the warehouse for germination. If large tubers are found, they are cut into pieces so that at least 3 eyes remain in each of them. Ideally, it is recommended that cutting be done directly on the day of planting. But in both cases, the cut site should be treated with tree resin.

Such detailed actions are carried out on a small scale of business. When grown on an industrial scale, such a process will require automated installations that completely replace manual labor.

Planting potatoes

There are no recommendations for all occasions; sowing dates are dictated by the weather and climatic features of a particular area. You can only be guided by the temperature indicator: when the soil warms up to 12 degrees, you can start planting.

Before planting, the soil is loosened manually with shovels or a tractor in large areas. This process will provide the plant with enough air and retain moisture.

Potatoes are planted in rows, the distance between which is at least 1 m. This contributes to the active development of the bush and ease of harvesting using specialized equipment - milling units. If the distance is smaller, then even with manual processing you can damage the roots, thereby slowing down the growing season.

Landing depth– approximately 8 cm, sowing is covered with an earthen ridge up to 10 cm high.

After 2 weeks, the first treatment against weeds is carried out and hilling(raise the ridge another 10 cm). Light, loose soil is poured on top, which will allow the tubers to form well.

Potatoes need watering. If no rain is expected, it should be done at least 2 times a week. If the air is humid, then water it once every 7 days.

At the very beginning of flowering, preventive treatment is carried out against late blight and the most malicious enemy of potatoes - the Colorado potato beetle. Such treatments are carried out up to 5 times during the season.

When treating potatoes against pests and diseases, you must follow the recommendations indicated on the product packaging.

Setting up a potato business

If we are talking about small volumes of production, when almost all the work is done independently on your own plot of land, you can do without documents. Growing potatoes and then selling them is also a business, but, one might say, an inferior one. This is more like a small part-time job, additional income to the family budget. And even without documents, you will have to sell the goods yourself.

If we talk about a significant scale, we will have to go through registration individual agricultural entrepreneurship in the tax office in form A.01,13,21. It is recommended to choose the Unified Agricultural Tax system.

You can learn more about this tax regime from the following article:. It is this form of doing business that is more acceptable for the businessman himself and his partners. This form is simple and convenient for both parties.

Organization of potato sales

Long before the start of cultivating the first potato crop, it is necessary to work out the issue of sales and establish contacts with potential partners with whom long-term cooperation contracts can be concluded.

If large-scale production is planned, it is worth establishing contacts with large retail chains in advance. To do this, you need to prepare your goods so that they have a presentable appearance: washed, neatly packaged in clean, sealed bags.

Selling on the market is also possible; it is especially profitable when prices rise. If you can’t stand behind the counter yourself, you can find a wholesale buyer at the same market. This makes sense, because potatoes are a product that requires special storage conditions, otherwise they will begin to deteriorate (rot, wither, sprout). With wholesale sales, it is possible to sell the goods in a short time and calculate income.

It is worth considering that if you correctly follow the technology requirements, you can grow up to 20 tons of potatoes on 1 hectare. If you have a permanent buyer, you can fully count on a high income.

The financial side of the potato business

In order to turn potato growing into an income-generating business, a systematic approach is needed. For this purpose, a business plan is drawn up. The most important part of it is financial calculations with clearly balanced costs, income and profit.

The following are not excluded expenses:

• Purchase of seed material.
• Purchase of chemicals for treatment against pests and diseases.
• Fertilizers.
• Special equipment (purchase or rent).
• Packaging material.
• Salary in case of hiring workers for large volumes of production.
• Fare.
• Paying taxes.

The amount of costs may vary depending on factors such as the availability of own warehouses, technical equipment for storing and growing crops, or their rental.

Approximate calculations:

• Costs are about 450 thousand rubles.
• 22 tons of potatoes were harvested.
• After sorting, approximately 2.5 tons of waste.
• The average cost of 1 kg of potatoes is 50 rubles.
• If 19.5 (22 – 2.5) tons are sold, the proceeds will be 975 thousand rubles.
• Profit – 525 thousand rubles. (975 – 450).

"Potato" business (video)

The technologies and stages of growing potatoes, as well as the advantages of this type of business, are described in the video presented.

By growing potatoes you can earn more than 100% profit on the invested amount. This means that this type of business is quite profitable. To do this, it is necessary to make efforts, take a responsible approach to issues of soil condition, control pests and diseases, and ensure proper storage and marketing of the grown crop.

• 1 Is it profitable to grow potatoes for sale?
• 2 Potato growing technology
• 3 Growing potatoes as a business
  • 3.1 Land acquisition
  • 3.2 Business registration
  • 3.3 Selection of premises
  • 3.4 Equipment purchase
  • 3.5 Purchase of planting material
  • 3.6 Formation of a team of workers
• 4 Business plan for growing potatoes
• 5 Frequently asked questions
  • 5.1 What is the demand for potatoes today?
  • 5.2 Where to look for potato sales channels?
  • 5.3 What documents need to be prepared for potatoes?
  • 5.4 Is it possible to build a business on the resale of potatoes?

One of the most profitable business niches is growing and selling potatoes. Today it is difficult to imagine the diet of most Russians without this root crop, so this agricultural crop will always be in great consumer demand. Growing potatoes is a promising and long-term activity, and there are no problems with the sale of products. To successfully develop in this direction, an entrepreneur needs to competently organize his own business.

First, it is recommended to analyze the market situation, determine the profitability of the activity, and also calculate the amount of investment and possible income. Today, farmers cannot fully satisfy the needs of buyers, so growing potatoes for sale is very profitable. Despite the large number of manufacturers, the business is not afraid of competition and is highly profitable.

Is it profitable to grow potatoes for sale?

What will a novice entrepreneur who decides to grow potatoes for sale need to know? This type of activity is highly profitable, and today modern technologies are used that make it possible to grow root crops in greenhouses year-round and harvest several harvests per season. The business of growing and selling potatoes has its positive and negative sides. The advantages include:

• the ability to grow root crops even on a small plot of land;
• quick return on investment;
• high consumer demand for potatoes regardless of seasonality;
• the possibility of combining business with other activities;
• relative ease of crop care.

If a person has a garden, he can also start growing potatoes and earn decent money from it. There are no taxes to pay for this type of home business. Fertilizers are inexpensive, and in rural areas there are many people who want to earn money (it doesn’t hurt to hire them to weed the land and care for potatoes). The costs will be insignificant.

Growing potatoes not only can bring profit all year round, but also allows you to save on fertilizers, since the tops are used to form humus on the site. If you install greenhouses on the ground, you can harvest 3 crops in 1 year. Investments usually pay off after 4 months from the start of the first planting.

This business is not without its drawbacks, and every entrepreneur who is interested in profitable self-employment should know about them. First of all, there is a great dependence on the quality of the crop on weather conditions. If the region experiences extreme heat, plants need to be protected with irrigation systems. Potatoes have quite a lot of enemies among insects. To combat them, various chemicals are successfully used today to save the harvest. Therefore, these disadvantages should be considered rather as additional precautions.

To understand how profitable it is to grow potatoes for sale yourself, let's give a simple example. Let's say a businessman has rented (or owns) 30 acres of land. From every 100 sq. m you can collect about 280 kg of potatoes, and from the entire area - 8.4 thousand kg. If you sell it wholesale at a price of 20 rubles, you can get revenue of 168 thousand rubles.

To cultivate the land, you will need to buy a walk-behind tractor (mini-tractor) with a body, as well as a hiller, a mounted plow and a device for digging up root crops. You also need to purchase fertilizers for the site. Investments for these purposes will amount to about 80 thousand rubles. The benefits of this type of activity are obvious. If you install greenhouses and grow plants all year round, your profits will increase significantly.

Potato growing technology

There are many different ways to grow potatoes that allow you to reap a fairly good harvest. Let's focus on the Dutch method, since it does not require large expenses and allows plants to develop in natural conditions (without the use of greenhouses).

A feature of this technology is minimal mechanical tillage of the land and the potatoes themselves. The method involves the use of ground aeration, which ensures effective ventilation of soil layers by mixing them with atmospheric air. To implement it, the soil is first loosened, after which the planting material is placed in the formed earthen ridges, while it is necessary to ensure that the distance between the planting rows is sufficiently large.

Growing potatoes using this method makes it possible to collect up to 1.8-2 kg of root crops from one bush, while the potatoes themselves can be stored for a long time if certain conditions are met. When selecting planting material, pay attention to the tubers: each of them should have about 5-6 eyes to get a good harvest.

Immediately before planting, root crops should be warmed up in spacious, bright areas. Then they are placed in the ground until sprouts form, while the material should be in a room where it is recommended to maintain 6-8° heat. Ready seedlings need to be sent for further growth in natural conditions in well-warmed soil.

On one hundred square meters of land, it is allowed to plant up to 600 potato bushes, but it is better to place them in such a way as to ensure good lighting. The formation of beds is carried out from north to south with an interval between rows of up to 0.75 m. As for watering potatoes, this must be done no more than 3 times during the entire life of the crop. The first is carried out when sprouts appear, then before flowering begins, and after it ends.

Important: To protect potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle and other pests, it is recommended to treat the tops with pesticides before the flowering period begins.

Growing potatoes as a business

Let's consider the main stages of business development.

Land acquisition

An important stage in organizing a potato growing business is the acquisition of land. On average, you will have to pay 5 thousand rubles for one hundred square meters, and about 0.25-0.3 hectares will be required for planting. Thus, the minimum investment for the purchase will be 75 thousand rubles.

A person can organize a small business in his country house, in which case his income will be small, but he will not have to spend money on buying a plot of land. As for renting land, its cost can reach several thousand rubles per hundred square meters, so it is more advisable to invest money in your own land. Before purchasing a plot of land, you should consult with a lawyer who will inform you about all the intricacies of land registration and provide assistance in filling out documents.

Business registration

To start entrepreneurial activity, a businessman needs to contact the Federal Tax Service at his place of residence and register a peasant farm or individual entrepreneur. Often such a business is organized simultaneously by several partners. In this case, to register an enterprise, it is worth submitting an appropriate contract indicating the contact information of each of the co-owners of the business. In addition, the contract should specify the rights and obligations of each of the partners, as well as the procedure for exiting the business of each of them. If necessary, you can find out from a specialist at the Federal Tax Service department how to correctly calculate land tax and agree on the frequency of payment.

When registering an enterprise, you must indicate OKVED codes. To grow potatoes you can choose:

• 01.1 – “Growing annual crops”;
• 01.13 – “Growing vegetables, root crops, melons and tubers, mushrooms and truffles”;
• 01.13.1 – “Growing vegetables”;
• 01.13.12 – “Growing vegetables in protected soil.”

Newbie entrepreneurs who want to make money by growing and selling vegetables and fruits do not know which form of taxation is best to choose. For this type of activity, the best option would be to pay the unified agricultural tax, the rate of which is only 6%.

Selection of premises

A businessman should take care of proper storage of the crop, so he needs to find appropriate storage facilities equipped with:

• ventilation;
• lighting;
• heating system.

Warehouse areas must be dry and free from moisture and mold. Root crops should be dried and sorted before being placed in storage so that there are no rotten tubers among the harvest. Unmarketable potatoes can be handed over to farms specializing in raising turkeys at home and other livestock, which will accept them as feed for a small price. As for the cost of renting storage facilities, it varies between 30-40 thousand rubles per month.

Equipment purchase

To operate a potato farm, it is necessary to purchase appropriate equipment. If you are going to use a large amount of planting material, you should buy a potato planter. This machine allows you to complete large volumes of work in a short time and significantly simplifies people’s work.

In addition, it is advisable to acquire special combines for harvesting root crops. They allow you to automate harvesting; moreover, such equipment practically does not damage potato tubers. You can’t get by on the field without a potato digger. Such a machine is needed to select root crops from the ground. The farm will also need a line for sorting the harvested crop, and it can also be used for onions. It makes it easy to select vegetables by size, for which the design provides the possibility of installing grates with the appropriate fractions.

A small tractor will be required, with the help of which weeding work will be carried out, as well as transportation of the crop. The minimum set of equipment for a farm will be:

• tractor with trailer – 250 thousand rubles;
• automated line for sorting root crops – 200 thousand rubles;
• potato digger – 150 thousand rubles;
• harvesting combine – 300 thousand rubles;
• potato planter – 70 thousand rubles.

Total costs for purchasing equipment will amount to 970 thousand rubles. Most entrepreneurs do not have the opportunity to invest such a sum of money to purchase the equipment necessary for the farm. For this reason, equipment can be rented or leased before harvesting.

Purchase of planting material

Another cost item will be the purchase of seed and organic fertilizers, which are necessary for full crop growth. You will have to allocate about 30 thousand rubles for chemicals before sowing root crops. How to correctly calculate the number of seedlings required to sow the land? Based on practice, 1 hectare of land will require about 20 kg of seed (tubers). Thus, for 0.3 hectares it is necessary to provide 20 * 30 = 600 kg of root crops. The wholesale price for purchasing potatoes averages 20 rubles per 1 kg, so you will have to spend 12 thousand rubles to purchase seed. Taking into account fertilizers, the costs will cost 42 thousand rubles.

Formation of a team of workers

What employees should be recruited to work on a potato farm? To do this, it would not hurt to invite machine operators - specialists who will service the equipment and work on the land. You also cannot do without general workers for weeding, watering and sorting root crops.

In addition, you will need a car mechanic who will repair the equipment. In the summer, security guards should be hired to monitor order on the field. An approximate staffing might look like this:

• handyman (2 people) – 16 thousand rubles;
• machine operator (2 people) – 24 thousand rubles;
• enterprise manager – 20 thousand rubles;
• auto mechanic – 15 thousand rubles;
• security guard (2 people) – 20 thousand rubles;
• accounting (payment for outsourcing) – 5 thousand rubles.

Total - monthly expenses for employee salaries will amount to 100 thousand rubles. At first, the business owner himself can keep records of warehouse management, which will allow him to reduce the cost of paying the relevant specialist.

Business plan for growing potatoes

Before embarking on a commercial project, an entrepreneur needs to develop a detailed business plan for growing potatoes. It allows you to determine the amount of initial costs for starting, evaluate prospects and calculate possible profits.

In addition, a businessman must know the amount of monthly expenses that are mandatory in the course of work. Let's calculate the amount of investment to start an enterprise, which includes the following components:

• purchase of land – 75 thousand rubles;
• purchase of equipment – ​​970 thousand rubles;
• planting material and fertilizers – 42 thousand rubles;
• business registration – 15 thousand rubles;
• purchase of fuels and lubricants – 10 thousand rubles;
• rental of warehouses – 30 thousand rubles.

Thus, the amount of initial investment is 1.142 million rubles. Running a business growing root crops involves monthly costs, which include:

• rental of premises – 30 thousand rubles;
• payment of utilities – 25 thousand rubles;
• tax deductions – 20 thousand rubles;
• staff salary – 100 thousand rubles;
• depreciation of equipment – ​​15 thousand rubles;
• purchase of fuels and lubricants – 10 thousand rubles;
• other expenses – 10 thousand rubles.

Total - regular costs amount to 216 thousand rubles. Now let's calculate the possible profit of the enterprise. It is realistic to harvest 280 kg of potatoes from one hundred square meters of land, the total harvest volume will be 8.4 tons. Let half a ton of potatoes be unsuitable for sale. Thus, we get 7900 kg of root crops that can be sold.

If you sell the crop wholesale at a price of 20 rubles per 1 kg, the total income will be 158 thousand rubles. When selling washed and dried root vegetables in small wholesale quantities and at retail, you can make a profit of about 40 rubles per 1 kg, which will bring 316 thousand rubles. The net profit from the sale of one crop will be 100 thousand rubles.

This amount can be increased many times over if we organize year-round potato growing in greenhouses. In the future, it will not hurt to scale the business, which will lead to a significant increase in income. For example, medium-sized farms own land plots with an area of ​​2 hectares or more. This allows you to harvest more than 50 tons of crop at a time.

FAQ

Let's look at frequently asked questions on the topic.

What is the demand for potatoes today?

Potatoes are one of the most important food products, the demand for which does not depend on the season. As practice shows, profits from the sale of root crops in winter can almost double. In addition to ordinary consumers, potatoes are purchased in large quantities by manufacturing companies. For example, potatoes are used to produce starch and alcohol in industrial quantities. Recently, this product has been used for the production of chips. In addition, the main buyers of potatoes are wholesale centers, large retail chains and supermarkets.

Where to look for potato sales channels?

Entrepreneurs who want, for example, to open a beer store, initially focus on the huge consumer demand for such a product. Potatoes do not need advertising, and they will be bought in any quantity. Let's consider several effective ways to sell the crop:

1. Sales at collective farm markets. This option can bring good profits, however, you should understand that it requires investing a lot of time. This task should be entrusted to one of the family members or to attract implementers. Potatoes can be sold profitably from mid-autumn until early May, when this product is in great demand (despite high prices).
2. Delivery of potatoes for sale. A fairly promising option, since it allows you to earn a decent amount of money. To do this, you should find several sellers who have their own outlets and offer them favorable terms of cooperation.
3. Wholesale sale of crops. An entrepreneur can deliver large quantities of potatoes to wholesale buyers, as well as to harvesters. They offer a low price for the product, but if you need money for all the products at once, this is the best option. It is most often used by large farms, which can offer buyers large quantities of goods.
4. Direct sales of potatoes to retail chains and stores. This option is considered the most profitable. An entrepreneur can arrange the supply of potatoes to stores at a negotiated price. Washed and packaged products are in great demand among buyers.

Important: if you plan to grow potatoes in large quantities, it makes sense to find buyers for the products in advance. The conditions under which they will cooperate should be agreed upon with wholesalers and procurers. This will allow you to grow potatoes and not worry about finding distribution channels.

What documents need to be prepared for potatoes?

According to the requirements of the Customs Union TR, potatoes must undergo mandatory quality assessment. For this reason, manufacturers will have to have appropriate documentation. You can obtain it from an accredited organization that provides product certification services. Such a body must have the right to assess the quality of food products, as well as issue relevant documents that are approved by Russian legislation. If you plan to store potatoes, especially with the use of heating systems, the businessman will need to obtain permits to conduct business activities from the State Supervision Authority and the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station.

Is it possible to build a business by reselling potatoes?

Let's consider the idea of ​​a business selling potatoes, associated with its sale as market resellers. Its essence is that you need to place advertisements in residential areas of the city about the sale of products, receive orders from customers and distribute the goods to the specified addresses. It should be immediately noted that the minimum order must be at least 30 kg (the volume of one mesh). To start making money, you don’t need to register a business at the beginning, spend money on renting office space or buying transport.

Earnings from the sale of one network are about 200 rubles. Renting a truck costs about 300 rubles per hour. In order to make a profit and not work at a loss, you should manage to deliver more than 3 nets of potatoes to customers during this time. The goods must be purchased in advance at wholesale markets or supermarkets. To do this, it is enough to have only a few thousand rubles of starting capital. Relatively quickly you can reach a stable income of up to 10 thousand rubles a day, which will require daily investments in the purchase of goods of about 25 thousand. Businessmen who have already built up their client base receive up to 20 calls per hour. It is easy to calculate the possible profit per day. The best option would be to deliver potatoes simultaneously to courtyards with multi-story buildings, where this service is most popular.

Agricultural business can be very profitable, but it needs to be approached wisely. Beginning entrepreneurs very rarely pay attention to growing and selling potatoes. Although this product is very common and is always in great demand, the business itself requires a lot of time, effort and financial costs.

Advantages and disadvantages of the potato business

Growing potatoes as a business has special advantages that play an important role when starting this business.

The profitability of the business is very high and amounts to 160%, since the product is in great demand, especially in large cities where there are no land plots or they are very small in size.

To conduct business, special equipment is used for growing potatoes and cultivating the land. Just a few small tractors will be enough here.

But there are also difficulties here, that is, the amount of harvest directly depends on the quality of planting material, as well as weather conditions and the degree of protection from pests.

Do not forget that the soil where potatoes are planted needs rest and regular fertilizers, and tractors need fuel and lubricants. But profitability very quickly covers all costs.

And you can start a potato business on a small plot; even from an area of ​​3 acres you can harvest about 250-300 kg of crop. In addition, growing the product does not require special knowledge.

The disadvantages include the low price for selling potatoes and the fact that they can only be grown in the warm season.

How to grow potatoes

Before you start doing business, you should study the plan for growing the product, since the future harvest directly depends on proper planting and care.

Potatoes are one of the most weather- and climate-sensitive vegetables. It can be grown using two methods. The first is early ripening varieties that are planted in greenhouses and go on sale in early spring, and the second is open ground and goes on sale in the fall.

The first method has greater profitability, but also requires high costs for arranging greenhouses. But the second method is less expensive and ideal for beginners with small initial capital.

Potatoes are an early ripening crop and take about 4 months from planting to harvesting. The cultivation technology is very simple and includes only a few main stages of work:

• preparing seeds for planting;
• site preparation and planting;
• hilling and fertilizing;
• pest control;
• cleaning and storage;
• packaging and sale.

Seed potatoes that are purchased must have all the required documents confirming the variety and high resistance to disease, as well as productivity. The planting material must meet strict requirements; the size of the tubers is about 3-5 cm in diameter. When planting tubers of different varieties, it is not recommended to mix them.

The vegetation of such plants should be at least 100%, and the yield should be stable and very high. If the reproduction of the product does not reach degree 2, then it is not advisable to use it on seeds.

Seed preparation is carried out in the autumn, the potatoes are sorted. Only healthy tubers that have no spots or sores and are not damaged in any way remain for the seeds. After careful selection, they are greened up; for this, they are laid out in the light for about 3 weeks. But direct rays are prohibited for them, only diffused light.

After gardening, the seeds are stored in a warehouse at a temperature of about +3 degrees and a humidity of at least 80%.

After storage, 30 days before planting, the seeds are taken out and transferred to a warm and bright place for germination. The sprout of potatoes ready for planting should be 1 cm. If you come across large tubers, then they are carefully divided into 2 parts, leaving sprouts on both halves; there should be about 4 of them. To prevent the cut tubers from rotting, it is recommended to treat the sections with tree resin.

But when potatoes are grown industrially, they are not sorted manually; the whole process is completely automated.

The timing of planting depends entirely on weather conditions, that is, in the south, potatoes can be planted in March, in the middle zone at the beginning of May, and in the north only at the beginning of summer. The temperature of the finished soil should be more than 12 degrees.

The soil is prepared in advance; for this purpose, small areas are dug with shovels, and large areas are plowed with a tractor. During preparation, the soil is loosened, as a result the plant will have enough air and moisture.

The material is planted in rows with a distance of at least 1 meter. This distance is required for the full development of bushes and easy processing and harvesting using special equipment.

When working with milling units, roots will not be damaged at this distance. If you save on distance, then even with manual cultivation, the roots can be damaged and the growing season will slow down significantly.

Tubers are planted to a depth of about 8 cm, and a ridge about 10 cm high is formed on top. According to the standard, 30 bushes should be planted per square meter.

14 days after planting, all weeds are removed from the site, and the sprouts undergo the first hilling, and an additional 10 cm of ridge height is created. The soil on the ridge is only soft and loose, since new tubers will form in it.

If there is no rain, watering is carried out 2 times every seven days. If there is a severe drought, watering is carried out every day. If the weather is cloudy and there is high humidity outside, then it is advisable to reduce the number of waterings.

Potatoes are very fond of fertilizers; for this, horse or cow manure must be added to the ground before planting.

When the bushes begin to bloom, they must be treated with products against the Colorado potato beetle and prevented from possible late blight. Treatment of plants against pests should be carried out about 5 times per season, but with strict adherence to the requirements of treatment intervals from the manufacturer.

Harvesting is carried out in the autumn after the tubers have fully ripened. This will significantly increase the shelf life and all the beneficial properties of the product. For storage, special rooms are used in which the required temperature and humidity are maintained.

How to organize a business

In order for the potato growing business to become profitable, you should not only learn the technology for growing the product, but also take care of the paperwork.

If you plan to grow goods on your own plot, then it is not necessary to prepare documents. But here difficulties will arise with the sale of products; it will be possible to sell only independently.

If you plan to conduct a large business, you must register with the tax service as an individual entrepreneur. To do this, select the OKVED A. 01,13,21 form and the Unified Agricultural Tax taxation system, that is, as an agricultural entrepreneur.

When registering a potato business, you should take into account that large buyers and retail chains prefer to work with individual entrepreneurs rather than with private small businesses.

Selling Features

A business selling potatoes will have high income if you find permanent sales points. For this purpose, market monitoring is carried out. You can start offering products to large retail chains.

You can also sell at the market, especially if the sale is carried out at a time when potato prices are rising. In this case, you can find wholesale buyers.

But it is worth remembering that the product must only be of high quality without damage and with the correct shelf life.

A potato growing business can bring high yields. When planting one ton of seeds per hectare, you can harvest about 20 tons of crop. And you can get a high income for such a volume only if you have a permanent point of sale.

Financial investments in business

A business plan for growing potatoes requires certain costs. Financial investments will be required for:

1. purchase of seeds;
2. purchase of fertilizers and pesticides;
3. rent or purchase of equipment for growing potatoes;
4. purchasing packaging for potatoes;
5. rental of storage space;
6. salary if workers are hired.

But if you follow all the cultivation technology, then all these costs will quickly cover. You can increase your profits only with effort and marketing.

Costs are reduced if you have your own warehouse, or a place to build it, as well as your own agricultural machinery.

Profit from the potato business

The potato business requires initial cost calculations and approximate profits.

The costs include setting up a business, purchasing equipment, seeds and everything necessary for growing.

It is also worth indicating the worker’s salary, the cost of renting a stall, the amount of tax deductions and transportation costs.

Calculations are being carried out, that is, approximately 350 thousand were spent on creating the business, and the total harvest amounted to 16 tons. After the goods have been sorted and approximately 2 tons of defects have been removed, 14 tons are spent on sale.

That is, when selling potatoes at a price of 50 rubles per kilogram, the total income will be 700,000 rubles. The net profit in this case is 350 thousand.

Although the potato business has high costs and a large investment of effort and labor, with the right approach it brings high income in a short time, since cultivation is carried out in just one season.