All news

First crops gathered in eastern Chukotka’s greenhouse

65 kg of cucumbers and two kg of greens have been gathered

TASS, April 27. The first greenhouse began working in the Provideniya settlement in eastern Chukotka - an area with the severe sub-Arctic climate, the greenhouse’s owner Irina Kokhanovskaya told TASS on Friday.

"We have gathered the first, trial, crops of 65 kg of cucumbers and two kg of greens, and we plan to double the crops," she said. "As soon as we settle the issue of electricity supplies to the greenhouse, it would be working the year round, and the crops would be even bigger."

The greenhouse, which occupies 490 square meters, is four kilometers from the Provideniya settlement - it takes the seaport’s former utility area. The vegetables grow in the soil, and the greenhouse’s roof is made of polycarbonate. Currently, it is working from April to October. This is the only greenhouse in the settlement.

The price on cucumbers from the greenhouse is 500 rubles ($8), which is anyway cheaper than the vegetables delivered there by sea. With affordable electricity, prices for local vegetables would be even lower. The local authorities consider making an electricity line to the greenhouse.

According to the settlement’s head, Sergei Shestopalov the authorities "are extremely interested in having own products, since the people living in the Arctic region are always short of vitamins."

"We are choosing a contractor now, to make an electricity line to the greenhouse - thus, the entrepreneur will not have to buy expensive diesel and the vegetables would be cheaper," he added.

The Provideniya settlement is on Chukotka’s eastern shore. About 2,000 people live there. Most products are brought to the settlement during the summer navigation, and the food prices are much higher than in the regional center - Anadyr.