ECO-Culture plans expansion of greenhouse capacities

By 2023, the agro-industrial holding ECO-Culture intends to occupy a leading niche in domestic greenhouse protected ground production of tomatoes. In the near future, it plans to enter the markets of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan; deliveries to the Persian Gulf countries are being considered. The holding has already signed contracts with three leading retail chains in Uzbekistan.

Greenhouse capacities of ECO-Culture in 2019 amounted to more than 207 hectares, and next year these can increase to 340 hectares. In the period between 2019 and 2023, the share of ECO-Culture in the protected cultivation of tomatoes is expected to grow 5 times, from 6% to 30%.

“Imported vegetables, of course, are inferior in both freshness and quality. The Russian buyer has become pickier, and for many, the price is no longer the key factor affecting the choice of products. Moreover, the “food basket” of a Russian contains a growing share of tomatoes: a variety of sorts and tastes make it possible to use tomatoes in different dishes,” said Alexander Rudakov, President of ECO-Culture.

International expansion is becoming increasingly important for ECO-Culture. And its activities on the international market are diverse: these refer not only to the export of products and advice on greenhouse business management, but also to the construction of greenhouse complexes.

As Alexander Rudakov noted, it is the construction of greenhouse complexes that creates comfortable conditions for entering the local market.

“Just as in Russia, overseas retail chains prefer local producers rather than resellers and imported products,” he emphasized.

One of the most important criteria for choosing countries to create greenhouse complexes is the climatic conditions, in particular, the abundance of sunlight, which reduces the cost of electricity. The factor of proximity to the consumer is also important.