Modern equipment for tillage, feeding and harvesting allows farmers to significantly improve the quality of their crops. However, the price of such a technique "bites". Association in cooperatives allows small producers not only to jointly purchase equipment or receive compensation from the state budget, but also to apply for grant funds. An example of such a successful merger is the agricultural cooperative TopAgroService, which recently received a grant for the purchase of equipment from the Ukrainian Horticultural Business Development Project (UHBDP).

The cooperative is based in the village of Podgornoye on Odezhin and specializes in the production of potatoes and onions. The association was founded three years ago. The cooperative grows crops on an area of ​​20 hectares.

Previously, the farm used outdated equipment, and part of the equipment was rented. This autumn, the cooperative purchased a trailed cultivator Vepr-4.2 P, a roller KZK - 6-01, and a spreader of mineral fertilizers RDF-1000 using grant funds.

“Earlier, for high-quality leveling of the soil after plowing, we twice passed the entire field with a tractor and our KPS-4 cultivator, and the new Vepr-4.2 qualitatively levels the soil in one pass. The cooperative significantly saves on fuel (7 l / ha) and depreciation of the tractor, as well as valuable time. One pass of the tractor instead of two allows avoiding additional soil compaction," said the head of the TopAgroService cooperative Irina Lupashko.

The new equipment will increase the cost of the association's products.

“Mechanization of processes is always an improvement in product quality, which means that we will be able to sell potatoes and onions faster and more expensively. Now it is difficult to sell poor quality products,” says Vitaly Lupashko, an agronomist and member of the cooperative.

SEEDS