Agrofirm "Yuzhnaya" has collected a record harvest of grapes
In the Krasnodar Territory, 280,000 tons of grapes were harvested in 2022, of which more than 110,000 tons are owned by Yuzhnaya, the largest viticulture enterprise in Russia, which, together with Kuban-Vino, is part of the Ariant group of companies.
At the end of 2021, the gross grape harvest amounted to 83.4 thousand tons. Thus, this year the Yuzhnaya agricultural firm increased its indicators by more than 30 percent. More than 110 thousand tons were harvested from an area of 8,297 hectares with a yield of 136 q/ha.
High performance was ensured by favorable weather conditions in 2021 and 2022 and the widespread introduction of new methods of grape cultivation into agricultural technology.
“For 2022, for the first time since 1986, not only favorable, but rather unique conditions have developed for laying, maturing and preserving the crop. Precipitation at the end of winter and in spring ensured good moisture charging of the soil. And heavy summer rains, evenly distributed over May and the summer months, ensured normal flowering and optimal berry filling. In addition, the safety of the crop was ensured by new approaches to the system of tillage and care of vineyards, the maximum mechanization of all processes, which significantly improved the quality and speed of work,” said Sergey Tarakhno, Deputy General Director of Yuzhnaya Agricultural Company.
This year the grape harvest started in early August. At the peak of harvesting, they collected 1800 - 2000 tons per day. Grapes were harvested both manually and with the help of machinery. 24 innovative combines worked on the fields.
Today, the area of vineyards of the Yuzhnaya agricultural company is 9,146 hectares. More than 500 hectares will be planted in autumn. Varieties such as Merlot, Rkatsiteli, Cabernet Sauvignon, Magarach's Firstborn and others will be planted.