Modern fertile reservoirs appear in Belarus with the support of the Development Bank

Last year, the Development Bank launched a large-scale program: competitive selections for the construction and modernization of fertile reservoirs. Now, modern agricultural facilities will appear throughout the country, which can extend the life of the harvest for many months. Arnika-Agro LLC, the winner of the first competitive selection, uses the opportunities and continues to increase its capacities. We started with the modernization of chambers with a controlled gas environment for 1000 tons. However, they did not stop there: in the second selection, the company again won, having the opportunity to upgrade four more cameras in Mogilev. Today, the total capacity of the plant for the storage of fruit products with a controlled gas environment is 3000 tons, which will allow you to manage storage conditions with jewelry precision.

Many nutritionists believe that every day each of us should eat three apples. What good is this fruit? He is a real storehouse: here and iron, and vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, calcium, magnesium. They can be eaten all year round on one important condition: if stored properly. The issue of preserving the harvest in the off-season period always remains one of the most acute for domestic fruit growing. The yield this year is good. To help farmers and weather: spring without frost, and autumn – warm and dry. Apples have an excellent presentation. The expected harvest, which is planned to be harvested in the country in 2026, will be more than 200 thousand tons. Moreover, more than 20 thousand tons are varietal fruits, which will be replenished by stabilization funds.

A significant contribution to the overall harvest is made by Arnika-Agro LLC. Over 200 hectares are allocated for apple orchards here, and the yield reaches 60 tons per hectare. To efficiently harvest the fruit, the company uses an automated platform that allows workers to collect up to two and a half tons of apples per day.

- The main specialization of the company is the cultivation of apples and berries in a wide range, with most of the harvest being used to provide the domestic market, said Sergey Bolsun, Deputy Director for Development of the enterprise. - In our gardens we grow about 30 varieties of apples, among the popular - "ligol", "gloster", "aidared", "alva" and "hani crisp". There are also new ones - "Pinova" and "Evelina". We work according to contracts, so the tonnage exported varies. The capacity of the enterprise allows to sell about 40 tons daily. This year, introduced innovations according to GOST with changes in the size of apples. Now the minimum weight of the fruit should be 90 grams, the diameter in the section is at least 60 millimeters, which is higher than the previous parameters that depended on the variety. Fresh fruits have a limited shelf life, our task is to preserve their useful components for as long as possible. For this, we grow varieties of different ripening periods, lean. However, growing and harvesting a rich crop is only half the battle. The key task for the future was to increase the gross harvest of high-quality apples and, no less important, to create conditions for their long-term preservation.

Sergei Bolsun. Previously, under standard cooling conditions without special equipment, the shelf life of apples was no more than one month. Even when using refrigerators that maintain temperatures between 0 and +5 °C and humidity above 95 percent, the storage period was limited to April. The issue was resolved by an investment project implemented with the financial support of the Development Bank. Its goal was the modernization of refrigeration chambers with the installation of a set of equipment for monitoring the gas environment. This allowed us to move from simple cooling to a qualitatively different level of storage technology. In a chamber with a controlled gas composition, the oxygen concentration is artificially reduced to 1-3 percent and the carbon dioxide content rises to 5 percent. This environment repeatedly slows the respiration of the fetus, reduces the production of ethylene - a gas that accelerates maturation, and actually plunges the apple into suspended animation. This, combined with the tightness of the chambers and maintaining humidity at the level of 90-95 percent, allows you to maximize the original properties of the product.

We are implementing the investment project within the framework of the State Program “Agribusiness of the Future” for 2026-2030 with the support of the Development Bank. This is the first project of such a large scale. Thanks to equipment with controlled gas environment in sealed chambers, we can maximize the shelf life of apples up to 12 months - until the next harvest. Thus, we can supply fresh apples throughout the year without interruption, adds Sergey Bolsun. Storage height is 5 meters, and products are placed in wooden containers in 5-6 tiers. Each chamber can hold about 240 tons of apples. The regulated gas environment greatly slows down the rate of biochemical reactions, thanks to which the fruit “falls asleep”, which allows you to preserve the taste, color, texture, useful elements and even juiciness longer. Loss is reduced because the fruit does not rot. After laying the apples, the cooling mode is turned on. The fruits are cooled for several days to a temperature of +5 ° C. The chamber is then sealed and the controlled gas medium is switched on. And the next time the camera opens, the apples go to the realization.

The first updated chambers with a total capacity of 1000 tons were commissioned in October this year. In addition to the obvious economic effect, the project has a high social significance. Arnika-Agro is annually included in the list of subjects storing goods from stabilization funds. The company plays a significant role in the formation of a stable fund. The launch of innovative facilities guarantees uninterrupted supply of fresh domestic fruits to retail chains, catering enterprises and social institutions throughout the off-season, which directly contributes to the containment and stabilization of food prices.

By the way, the company does not intend to stop there: the plans for 2027 include the re-equipment of a regulated gas environment system for another four chambers, and for 2028 the next four. The phased expansion of capacities will significantly increase the volume of long-term storage of fruits and consolidate the position of the Belarusian producer in the domestic market.

COMMENTARY OF THE DEVELOPMENT BANK

The technological solution, implemented with the financial support of the Development Bank, radically changes the approach to fruit storage. On a concrete example, we can say that the competitive selection of investment projects for the construction of fertile reservoirs, conducted by the Development Bank, has successfully started. Encouraging the technological renewal of the agricultural sector by providing profitable financing will continue to scale.