Uralchem sharing know-hows with farmers in Kirov Region

The Government of the Kirov region held a working meeting on the development of agriculture in the region. Experts from the Kirovo-Chepetsk Chemical Plant (KCKK, part of Uralchem) shared their positive experience with industry representatives.

The meeting dwelled upon methods of increasing the yield and profitability of agricultural enterprises: the proper nutrition system, the introduction of digitalization in agriculture and staff development.

The Head of the Center for Agricultural Expertise at KCKK, Mikhail Domnin, spoke about the results of the field trials in the Kirov region in 2019. They were carried out on several crops and rapeseed demonstrated a yield enhancement by 9.15 centners per hectare, and grain crops proved an increase of productivity by 5.8 centners per hectare. Uralchem’s specialists are ready to help agricultural enterprises in the region to reach such high rates. If the new plant nutrition systems are applied to 500 thousand hectares of agricultural land in the Kirov region, it will become possible to get 290.5 thousand tons of grain and a profit of 1.8 billion rubles (almost $ 30 million).

“We are ready to share our best practices,” said Dmitry Trushkov, the CEO of the KCKK Branch of Uralchem company. “The potential for increasing yields in the region and in the country is huge. According to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, today in Russia 50 kg of fertilizers are applied per 1 ha, while Canada and China apply 400 kg per ha, and Europe – 250-300 kg. An increase in productivity will entail an increase in the profits of enterprises, and, accordingly, the tax base of the region.”

A big role in this can be played by digitalization of agriculture. Nikolay Bobrov, the CEO of Digital Agro, said that now the digital platform covers 4.4 million hectares of land in 28 regions of Russia. The service includes monitoring equipment, daily monitoring of the quality of work in each farm, the potential for land fertility, an agricultural university with video lectures from the best world experts.

Aleksey Kotlyachkov, the Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Kirov Region, noted that in the near future meetings of the heads of agricultural enterprises of the region and neighboring regions will be organized. The successful experience in increasing profitability and yields, driven by the introduction of the Uralchem’s plant nutrition systems, digitalization and staff development will be shared at the meetings.