OPPORTUNITIES OF HOP-GROWING IN THE CHUVASH REPUBLIC

Abstract

In terms of import substitution an investment attractiveness has increased of such traditional terms of the agricultural sector for the Chuvash Republic, as the hop-growing. However, despite increased and very attractive prices for agricultural hops - raw materials, production volume in the country is very low. In recent years, hops plantation area does not exceed 250 hectares and the gross yield - 400-420 tons. In the 90s of the last century of hop production reached 3,000 tons. Nowadays, 3.6 thousand tons of hops are imported in Russia. For the revival of hop-production and the substitution of imported raw materials for brewing, pharmaceutical and chemical industries by domestic hops, it is necessary to develop a new, more effective system of public financial support for hop-growers. The authors determined the amount of the initial investment costs, needed for the organization of hops production, and recommended minimum and maximum size of the state grants for capital investments in the sector. According to the technological requirements and current prices the hop-production organization requires the following types of investments: construction of hop plantations in the amount of 1,250 thousand rubles per 1 hectare; soil preparation and planting seedlings - 300 thousand rubles per 1 hectare; purchase of machinery and equipment for the cultivation, harvesting and drying of hops - around 38 million rubles per 50 hectares of plantations. Thereby, the total investment in fixed assets per 50 hectares of hop-plantations could reach about 113 million rubles (2260 thousand rubles per 1 hectare). The size of state subsidies for capital investments into the hop-growing, on the authors’ calculations, should be not less than 20% and not more than 50% of the necessary expenditure. These amounts may be from 452 thousand rubles (20%) to 1130 thousand rubles (50%) per 1 hectare of plantations.