Over 1100 hectares of potatoes and 1000 tons of onions: Tolochin Cannery's plans for the 2026 harvest
Over 1100 hectares of potatoes and 1000 tons of onions: Tolochin Cannery's harvest plans for 2026
14.05.2026
In the Vitebsk region, over two thousand hectares have been allocated for potatoes, of which more than 1100 hectares are on the lands of the Tolochin Cannery.
The enterprise has long established itself as a key player in the country's food market, operating according to specific processing requirements.
– Priority is given to varieties for the production of frozen french fries, for which we have allocated 800 hectares, – says chief agronomist Tatyana Kapranova. – The remaining areas are allocated for seed material and table varieties for retail sale.
The variety atlas is impressive: it includes the time-tested Belarusian "Skarb", and high-yielding "Colombo", "Nara", "Gala", "Yulia". But the focus is on the industrial variety "Innovator". To guarantee quality, the seed fund is constantly updated: 100 tons of "Innovator" of super-elite reproduction were recently delivered from Yaroslavl.
They work in pairs in the field. Currently, ten planting units are in operation. The process is highly technological: AKPK-4 combined seeders form ridges themselves, carefully placing tubers into the prepared soil.
Among those operating the machinery is a true ace, Vladimir Ershov. In his 20 years of work at the enterprise, he has thoroughly studied the local fields.
– The mood is fighting! – smiles Vladimir. – I lay the furrows myself, and I will harvest them myself later. Now it is important to help the newcomers – I advise them on how to properly adjust the equipment so that the units do not fail.
Agrarians manage to cover more than 30 hectares a day. At this pace, they plan to complete all work in three weeks.
The real breakthrough of the season for the plant was the transition to industrial cultivation of onion seeds. If earlier these were trial plots, today 20 hectares have been allocated for the "tearful" crop.
Andrey Murashko, Director of the Tolochin Cannery, recalls that the first onion experiment was conducted in 2025. At that time, only 0.6 hectares were sown. The weather was capricious, the deadlines shifted, and the harvest did not meet expectations.
– This year, we decided to work strictly according to the schedule, – emphasizes the head. – In the future, we expect to successfully fulfill the state order.
The cultivation technology requires meticulous precision. To ensure that each onion reaches the coveted 7 cm in diameter by the end of the season, science came into play. A special precision planter provided by the Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Potato and Horticulture was used in the fields. The work began in the fall with the application of potassium chloride – a proper "start" in the soil is extremely important for onions. With a favorable outcome, the "Meranto F1" hybrid can yield up to 500 centners per hectare, which in total will bring the plant about 1000 tons of selected product.
Harvesting the crop is only half the battle; it is important to preserve it. The issue of storing such a volume of onions at the enterprise has already been resolved: the third potato storage facility under construction has been allocated for it. The cost of the facility is about 26 million rubles, and the completion of work is scheduled for this summer.