Profitable greenhouse business can be conducted even in the most adverse weather conditions
The day before, my colleagues and I visited the territory of a unique agricultural enterprise – an impressive greenhouse right in the heart of the frosty steppes of Sary-Arka – in the village of Trudovoye near Karaganda. Juicy cucumbers are grown here all year round on 1.5 hectares of land. The farm “Nur-Agro”, rare for these places with traditional winter blizzards, was opened relatively recently by a simple farmer Batyr Darmenov (pictured).
As nothing comes out of nowhere, so the Batyr’s business trajectory, apparently, was predetermined in advance. The entrepreneur hails from Uzbekistan, famous for gardens, greenhouses and a wide variety of agricultural enterprises. Over time, he moved to Kazakhstan, to Karaganda, where at first he worked at a retail outlet – he sold vegetables.
Then I saved up some money and turned to the Agrarian Credit Corporation for help. So, since 2018, Darmenov started and gradually grew together with his farm. First, I installed the first greenhouse for half a hectare, equipping it with a heating system running on solid fuel – Karaganda coal, then it was the turn of the second greenhouse – twice as large in size.
Now, in November 2022, 15-25 people work on the territory of his farm, depending on the season, who collect 1 – 1.5 tons of cucumbers of the tantu variety per day. The entrepreneur develops loans from the ACC for 150 million tenge. There are plans to expand to the third greenhouse, which will allow us to reach the level of the greenhouse complex and produce up to 1 thousand tons of cucumbers per year.
I note that in addition to competent climate control, Bartenders successfully use drip irrigation technology. And in the future plans to connect Dutch and Italian technologies in the conduct of greenhouse business.
Batyr Darmenov’s project in Karaganda – a large greenhouse, under the transparent roof of which juicy cucumbers are grown even in the bitter cold peculiar to this climatic zone of Kazakhstan – is quite technologically advanced and advanced among its own kind.
Yes, on the one hand, its energy ecosystem is closed to coal. But it would be strange if an entrepreneur in Karaganda disdained such a popular and cheap fuel. On the other hand, Darmenov, in addition to radiators, equipped the spaces with pipes with warm water, mineral wool, containers for sprouts that stretch vertically to the roof of the greenhouse in the form of trellises.
There is enough mineral wool for a year, that is, for two full seasons for growing cucumbers of the tantu variety. Moreover, all containers with seedlings are equipped with drip irrigation hoses.
The roof of the greenhouse is made of cellular polycarbonate. This material diffuses sunlight and reliably protects plants from the adverse effects of ultraviolet radiation.
All in total leads to excellent climate control inside the greenhouse. It’s cold outside, frost or snowstorm, and inside – plus temperature without excess humidity. Thanks to this, Darmenov cucumbers are not too watery, but just right – tight, crispy and fragrant. He sells them both at Karaganda markets and sells them to buyers in Astana, Akmola region, Pavlodar and Pavlodar region.
Trucks come from Astana and Pavlodar to the Karaganda greenhouse, they load themselves and take the products of IP Nur Agro to their capital and regions.
So a ton of cucumbers, which an entrepreneur collects daily with employees, thanks to his work and a loan from the Agricultural Credit Corporation #agrocreditkz, finds its buyer. Whether it will still be.
Валерий САМАРЕЦ-СУРГАНОВ
