Greenhouse enterprises are industries that ensure the food security of the country. They, like many other agricultural companies, have been affected in a certain way by the events taking place in the Russian economy.
The greenhouse industry has been gaining successful experience in developing under sanctions since 2014. During this time, thanks to state support programs, there has been a very big leap in the development of protected ground in our country. In this regard, it is important to consider what trends exist in the segment now and how it is developing in the current period.
BET ON EMOTIONS
According to the Greenhouses of Russia Association, this segment of the agro-industrial complex is actively striving for full import substitution. According to the results of 2021, the level of self-sufficiency in protected ground vegetables reached 71.7%, and this figure is growing every year. Just five years ago, the numbers were much lower, on the order of 40-50%. By 2023, the value should reach 81%. Last year, it was possible to harvest about 1.4 million tons of vegetables with an internal need of 2 million tons. At the same time, consumers are almost completely provided with domestic cucumbers. Tomatoes are also approaching this indicator: now the industry covers the need by 60-70%.
Of course, it is not only about extensive development. The greenhouse segment has grown significantly both in terms of product quality and the level of technology, as well as work with customers. At first, the sales were rampant, then the task was to place the goods on the shelves, and then to develop brands to create a connection between the consumer and the manufacturer. Now the protected ground is going through the stage of forming and consolidating the emotional relationship between the buyer and the brand, and there are more and more progressive enterprises in this issue on the market. The factor of emotional motivation allows you to influence the demand of consumers. For example, in the companies Agroinvest and Agrogrib, the assortment is updated every nine months, thanks to which a new emotion is formed and a different story is born. The specialists of the complexes carefully approach the development of each product in the areas of quality and branding. All varieties have certain names that give rise to the necessary associations among consumers. For example, the San Remo cherry tomatoes were so named because they are distinguished by their thick skin and juicy taste, perfectly complement Italian dishes and give customers a feeling of summer and warmth.
MAIN TRENDS
Among the trends that determine the development of the sector, five main ones can be distinguished. The first of them is the expansion of the assortment portfolio of hybrids that can be seen on store shelves, the second is the technical improvement of production and the introduction of new technologies. So, in some greenhouses digital methods and a mobile personnel management system are used. The essence of this development is that vegetable growers receive tasks for individual gadgets. Orders are formed taking into account the knowledge and competencies of employees, and a task is created that needs to be done. They send data on all completed tasks to the central control via a QR code located on the crop. As a result, the program allows you to control the work of each employee at the most automated level and measure what he has done, down to a single plant.
The third trend is an increase in demand for domestic products, as for buyers, the “Made in Russia” label has become a guarantee of quality. This was achieved thanks to the support of the industry by the Government of the Russian Federation. Market participants wisely used the subsidies that the state allocated to them, and were able to form a trusting attitude of the buyer to the domestic product. The fourth trend is that packaging requirements are changing. The industry is shifting from conventional microcorrugated board to pulpboard, a biodegradable material. Significant changes also affected the labels, which are the result of the work of three countries that produce paint, glue and paper. In Russia, these goods are not available in full, and paint stocks are running out, and deliveries have not yet been established. For this reason, the industry is looking towards printing on film – technical information can be indicated immediately on it. It would seem that the solution is on the surface, but earlier its implementation was much more expensive than a conventional technical label. This option has certain advantages: the product will look neater, and the packaging is less harmful to nature.
The fifth trend is the formation of new consumption technologies. For example, the Agroinvest company began supplying products in doy-pack packages, due to which the consumer can buy healthy fresh snacks. This is not only a good commercial solution, but also following the trend: now there is a focus on a healthy lifestyle culture and healthy snacks on the go. It is the expansion of the sales area for tomatoes, which are now presented not only in the vegetables department, but also in cheeses, desserts and the checkout area, that allows attracting more buyers to consumption.
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DIFFICULTIES TO OVERCOME
In some areas, the industry is still closely connected with foreign partners, the continuation of work with which has become questionable due to sanctions. However, we can say that these difficulties are completely solvable. Now market participants refuse to supply Dutch, Spanish and Italian equipment and pay attention to Asia. In Russia, there are several distributors of equipment that ensures the operation of greenhouses. At the moment there is no competition between them. Moreover, they actively help each other, jointly purchase the necessary. Such companies have completely reoriented themselves to Russian and Chinese equipment, which is an alternative to European products.
Basically, greenhouse enterprises use seeds of Dutch selection, and until recently, open ground remained the main area for domestic breeders. Despite the fact that the formation of our own breeding centers is a long and investment-intensive activity, the situation is gradually changing. For example, the Gavrish company is successfully operating in the greenhouse market, having created a large breeding center in the Krasnodar Territory, and continues to develop against the backdrop of the current situation. Trading house “Moe Leto” is also engaged in the direction of domestic selection and is actively working with hybrids. Now the company has a line of medium-fruited cucumbers, cocktail tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, which are successfully showing themselves in production.
The greenhouse industry is one of the strongest in our country and necessary to ensure food security. For this reason, not only the owners of enterprises, but also the state are interested in solving its problems. It is possible to achieve the goals of import substitution and successfully compete with foreign manufacturers by creating a high quality product. Today, the most important task of the industry is to ensure that a good, fresh product is on the shelf and satisfies all the needs of buyers.
FIVE MAIN TRENDS DETERMINING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GREENHOUSE INDUSTRY IN RUSSIA:
EXPANDING THE RANGE OF HYBRIDS ON STORES,
TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENT OF PRODUCTION AND INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES,
GROWTH IN DEMAND FOR DOMESTIC PRODUCTS,
CHANGES TO PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS,
FORMATION OF NEW APPROACHES IN CONSUMPTION.
