Krasnodar state farm “Progress” sets up the production of mushrooms

Today Vladimir Evlanov visited one of agricultural enterprises of Krasnodar suburbs. Now the enterprise is recovering after financial difficulties. Krasnodar Head got acquainted with shop floors and talked with director about the prospects for the development in this year.

— Krasnodar firmly holds the status of agrarian city. Every agricultural enterprise makes a strong contribution to the development of Kuban capital’s economy. And the fact that in the state farm “Progress” a new enterprise is being established on the place of the former one is surely worth noticing. This will allow not only preserving and using the richest production base of the state farm, breathing a new life into industrial units, but also giving additional possibilities to provide the local market with demanded home-grown products, — Vladimir Evlanov said.

Municipal unitary enterprise (MUE) the state farm “Progress” in settlement Progress, known in the past as the largest hog-raising farm, now gathers pace after complete demise of livestock. A new managerial staff has found the enterprise in a difficult financial situation continuing recent years and started its rehabilitation. In the past year it was decided to set up the production of oyster mushrooms in vacant units. The work started after enterprise facilities had been refitted for a new production line at the end of December.

Director of the state farm Vasily Gorban acquainted Krasnodar’s Mayor with the production floors and the technology of mushrooms growing on sunflower seed husks. The mushroom farm was also viewed by Krasnodar Deputy Head Alexander Mikheev, Head of Prikubanskiy urban district Maxim Nechitailo, Deputy Chief of the department of industrial and agricultural development Grigory Slyusarenko.  

The excursion began from preparation shop where the process of sunflower seed husk steaming and mixing with mushroom spores is carried out. Then, received biomass is packed by the shop personnel into cubes (growing media). The development of root system and maturation of mushrooms take place in the next two rooms under appropriate temperature conditions and humidity. The growing of a mushroom spawn takes about two weeks and the whole process of production of one mushrooms batch takes from three to four weeks. One prepared cube can be reaped 2 or 3 times.    

Vladimir Evlanov had a look at shop floors, inquired about time of mushrooms maturing, volumes of production and talked with the personnel. In the course of the visit workers were gathering mushrooms into crates.

Vasily Gorban explained that the first yield started maturing in mid-January. Currently the enterprise produces nearly 100 kg mushrooms per day. By April its capacity is expected to achieve the volume of 800-1000 kg per day. This will let the enterprise to make a profit of nearly 80 thousand roubles daily. Mushrooms have already started to be sold in retail network. Sales channels are being set at the moment.

According to director of the state farm — further reconstruction of production units will be continued. Renewed shop floors are planned to be used for widening of oyster mushrooms production as well as champignons growing. Parallely specialists are refitting the former meat packing house into a shop floor for advanced mushrooms processing. Realization of these plans will create additional workplaces.

— Mushroom products are in demand and taking into account the fact that this is locally grown products, one can be ascertained — there are all conditions for the enterprise to be successfully developing. And surely, additional possibilities will appear after start-up of mushrooms processing, — Vladimir Evlanov summarized.

Vasily Gorban underlined that waste from the production of mushrooms will be also put to use. There is a technology of reworking of used cubes with substrate into a fertilizer. So, this is almost zero-waste production.

The state farm facilities allow also developing the other direction of agriculture, firstly — crop growing. Vasily Gorban stated that they have already elaborated possibilities for flower seedlings production. Alternatively Vladimir Evlanov proposed to set year-round growing of herbaceous crops — lettuce and the other species of herbs. These products are highly sought, especially in winter season, but generally it is delivered in Krasnodar from outside the city.

Municipal unitary enterprise the state farm “Progress” was founded in March 1991 on the base of the former farm existing here since 1949. The total territory of the state farm is 28,8 hectares which includes 16 units, production shop floors, warehouses, hothouses, boiler house, water-diverting structure, vehicle garage, machine and tractor station etc.