How to make money on cucumbers. Growing cucumbers in greenhouses all year round as a business

Your own business can be based not only on renting premises, buying and selling goods, but also on your own production. In this regard, the cucumber business is the most attractive, since food products always find a buyer. To understand all the nuances, you should get acquainted with the agricultural technology of growing vegetables, the conditions necessary for them and calculate the return on production. It is also very important to study the market and demand for the products you are going to produce.

Financial expenses

Undoubtedly, any business begins with consideration of the costs that its implementation will require. In the case of business activities related to growing vegetables, there may be different options.

For example, if this is a single greenhouse on a personal garden plot, and you are operating without forming a legal entity, this is one option. Another, if you are planning a large and profitable production, in which additional personnel will be involved, several capital greenhouses have been built and land has been rented. The second option, of course, will require more expenses, but the result will be more noticeable.

When drawing up a business plan for growing cucumbers, you need to take into account tax deductions and payment of bank loans. In order to organize just one greenhouse with an area of ​​three hundred and fifty square meters, approximately nine hundred thousand rubles will be required.

When drawing up a plan for your own business, you need to include minimum costs and take into account income so that it covers all expenses and brings profit. But it should always be borne in mind that overproduction of goods should not be allowed. In this case, you will not be able to implement it successfully and will incur losses. Since vegetables quickly lose their presentation and spoil.

Land and conditions for growing vegetables

First of all, you should take care of the land. It can be rented or purchased as personal property. The second option is preferable. Before purchasing, you need to take into account the availability of communications (water, electricity, gas) and access roads. Only after this can you think about ways to grow vegetables indoors.

Cucumbers are considered unpretentious plants. But in reality this is not entirely true. Yes, they will bear fruit beautifully and abundantly if all the necessary conditions are created for them. And this means well-fertilized soil, acceptable humidity levels, and temperature.

If any of these requirements are not met, you can lose a significant part of the harvest. Therefore, greenhouse vegetables are most suitable for organizing private farming. Construction of a greenhouse will require additional costs, but will provide optimal development conditions for plants. It can maintain a constant temperature. Cucumbers are very heat-loving. At the same time, the degree of illumination is not important for them. Therefore, specially built greenhouses are completely suitable for their breeding.

Plants are planted in pre-made holes or grooves. Plant the seeds three to four centimeters deep into the ground. The distance between plants should be from twelve to fifteen centimeters. Since this vegetable crop produces long vines, it is recommended to place them on wooden trellises with strings stretched over them. After the fourth leaf forms on the bushes, they need to be pinched. Then side shoots will begin to develop.

A well-thought-out business plan for growing cucumbers should take into account all the possible risks associated with growing vegetables. These include weather conditions. To protect plants from diseases and pests, the cost of preventive measures to prevent these phenomena should be included in the estimate. For example, apply herbicide and fungicide treatments.

The best option for growing cucumbers is to purchase coconut mats for greenhouses, which allow you to create the best conditions for growing vegetables. Flooring made from natural materials is laid on slabs made of polystyrene. Plant seeds are planted in the mats and a nutrient solution is supplied. Subsequently, the root system of cucumber bushes develops inside them.

Greenhouse construction

Experts and practicing farmers, those who have already succeeded in this very effective business, will tell you how to start a cucumber business. But in order to ensure its prosperity, it is necessary to attend to the construction of a greenhouse. The best option is to purchase ready-made designs.

In permanent greenhouses made of polycarbonate, everything is already taken into account: size, ease of installation, lighting. All engineering systems must be installed in them: watering, fertilizers. Install heating to maintain a constant temperature in the greenhouse and electric lighting. When erecting a structure, it is necessary to take into account all the most advanced ideas of plant growing. Apply energy-saving technologies.

Purchase of planting material

Vegetable seeds must be purchased from trusted suppliers and breeding companies. Don't get carried away with products from foreign manufacturers. Seeds bred in other climates may fail to germinate and your business will suffer as a result. Therefore, it is necessary to give preference to planting material that is developed and bred by local specialists.

Both pure cucumber varieties and F1 hybrids are suitable for cultivation in a greenhouse. The latest varieties have proven themselves very well. Farming will require the purchase of large quantities of seeds. For their purchase, you can pledge an amount of 1,600 rubles.

Fertilizers

Like all plants, cucumbers require feeding. This is especially important during planting. You will need compost and humus. Superphosphate and potassium sulfate are also used. When preparing a business plan for growing cucumbers, you need to take into account the cost of purchasing fertilizers. Their volume should be calculated depending on the cultivated planting area.

Fertilize the soil, cleared of weeds and well loosened. What’s good about cucumbers is that they give quick results (increase in growth, fruiting) after the garden bed is fertilized. Even chicken manure, previously diluted with water, will do. If the area where the plants are located is large enough, then automation will be required to process it. This also applies to the supply of fertilizers to each bush.

Watering

Plants are very demanding of moisture, so cucumbers must be watered regularly. However, don't be too zealous. Excess moisture is fraught with the occurrence of diseases. A sharp drop in temperature in a greenhouse can have the same detrimental effect. Lack of watering will affect the taste of cucumbers. They will develop bitterness.

In a permanently constructed greenhouse, you can equip a special automatic watering installation. It is controlled using a remote control. At the same time, a micro-dripper is connected to each plant so that the hydration is uniform. One hectare will require three hundred cubic liters of water. In addition, a fogging system will be required in the building where vegetables are grown. There should be water tanks in the greenhouse.

After reviewing the proposed plan, you can conclude that growing cucumbers as a business is quite suitable even for novice entrepreneurs.

Varieties of cucumbers

The variety of types of vegetable crops is amazing. For cultivation in open ground, it is better to choose self-pollinating varieties or place a hive with bees in a greenhouse. Since plants can have male and female flowers. Four to five bee colonies are enough for one hectare of planting.

The cultivation of Chinese cucumbers is suitable for cultivation on an industrial scale, since this variety has a number of undeniable advantages. First of all, the fruits grow very quickly and their size is impressive. One cucumber is enough to feed a whole family. The fruits of this variety are good for fresh consumption and canning. After harvesting, the number of fruits on the bushes increases, which also attracts farmers.

Features of caring for plants of this variety include feeding with fresh manure, watering with warm water, and removing yellowed leaves. It is recommended to grow Chinese cucumbers on a trellis. After harvesting, the products must be sold as soon as possible, since already on the second day the greens lose their presentation and their taste deteriorates.

Farming welcomes varieties of plants whose fruits are well stored and can withstand transportation. The Gunnar cucumber is one of these. The technology for growing it does not differ from the technique described above. It is suitable for early planting in greenhouses. Hybrid variety. The bush is open and compact. The fruits are cylindrical in shape and can reach from twelve to fourteen centimeters in length.

Harvesting

Greenhouse cultivation of vegetables allows you to harvest throughout the year, since the necessary microclimate is created for the plants and they do not suffer from external weather conditions. Therefore, it is quite possible for a farmer to harvest a large number of cucumbers. Moreover, harvesting vegetables in winter provides more profit than summer harvest.

They begin to collect fruits fifty days after the end of their flowering with an interval of two days. Harvesting can be done either manually or using special equipment. For example, platforms POU-2, PNSSH-12, UPNS-10, TNA-40 are used. Products must necessarily comply with GOST, depending on their purpose. Fruits intended for canning should be up to 11 cm long, and for direct fresh consumption - from 14 to 25 cm.

Recruitment

A novice entrepreneur, having built one greenhouse, can handle it independently or with one assistant. If you expect to expand your business, you will need from four to six people (depending on the area being cultivated with plantings).

So, for example, if the area of ​​the greenhouse is one hectare, then to work in it you will need a manager, one technologist and three to four workers.

The business plan for growing cucumbers must include such an item as the working hours of employees and the salary due to them. Of course, your workers must have an agricultural education and be well versed in vegetable farming techniques.

Sales of products

After harvesting, it is necessary to ensure the sale of vegetables. To do this, you need to conclude an agreement with retail outlets or food industry enterprises. You can also sell products in wholesale quantities on agricultural exchanges. Vegetable prices need to vary depending on the harvest and season.

Business profitability

Selecting products to grow is a major aspect of developing a business plan. Cucumbers are perfect. After all, this vegetable crop does not require large expenditures, develops very effectively in closed ground and allows you to obtain a bountiful harvest. Therefore, the profitability of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse is very high. Your vegetable production will begin to generate income very quickly.

Many gardeners dream of expanding their subsidiary farming: this idea is especially relevant for those who produce products not only for personal consumption, but also for sale. However, the desire to increase the productivity of home business remains unrealized due to the conviction of farmers that the creation of a greenhouse complex is impossible without special knowledge and large-scale investments. Therefore, novice entrepreneurs limit themselves to installing simple greenhouses, and in winter they prefer to buy vegetables at the nearest supermarket.

In fact, growing cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse does not require any fundamentally new technological solutions: in any soil, plants equally need light, heat and moisture. Moreover, modern equipment makes it possible to create conditions for seedlings that are not only identical to natural ones, but also to some extent superior to them: here cucumbers are not threatened by frost, drought, hail and heat, and temperature and humidity are maintained at the optimal level for the growing season. It is logical to assume that in a comfortable artificial microclimate, crop productivity reaches its maximum, opening up opportunities for creating a successful agricultural enterprise.

Business Features

Summer residents who know the secrets of growing cucumbers in open ground set up warm beds in small greenhouses and begin planting seedlings in early April. To make this process continuous and independent of the season, it is enough to purchase a stationary greenhouse, equip it with heating, lighting and irrigation systems, prepare the soil and select productive varieties adapted to closed ground conditions.

Beginning entrepreneurs should consider options for doing business in a greenhouse with an area of ​​100–400 m²: smaller structures do not bring significant income, while maintaining huge complexes is quite expensive due to the increased costs of heating and lighting. In addition, such a greenhouse can easily be installed on your own personal plot, which will avoid additional costs associated with renting or purchasing land.

When studying the risks characteristic of a cucumber business, it is advisable to pay attention to the dependence of sales efficiency on the size of the locality in which the products are planned to be sold: in small towns, every third resident is a summer resident or owner of a subsidiary farm, and therefore competition in the local vegetable market during the season is very high .

In addition, there is always a danger of the development and spread of diseases, which is especially important for large greenhouses, in which infection of one bush will lead to the loss of the entire crop. This problem can only be avoided through regular preventive measures.

Otherwise, the process of growing cucumbers is simple: to get a decent harvest, it is enough to follow the recommendations of experienced vegetable growers, regularly care for the plants and fertilize the soil on time.

Advantages and disadvantages

Is it possible to evaluate the attractiveness of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse as a business? First of all, it is necessary to study the main advantages and disadvantages of this type of activity, and then, based on the information collected, draw conclusions about whether it is worth investing in the purchase of expensive greenhouse equipment. When listing the obvious advantages of vegetable growing, it should be mentioned that:

• Thanks to microclimate control, three crops are grown in greenhouses per year;
• When growing cucumbers in winter, products can be sold five to six times more expensive than in summer;
• There are high-yielding hybrids that are specially adapted to closed ground conditions and low light conditions;
• Growing seedlings yourself allows you to further reduce costs;
• Products are stored in the refrigerator for at least a month and are practically not damaged during transportation;
• With efficient organization of production and sales, the payback period for investments does not exceed two years;
• The technology for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse is easy to learn - a novice farmer will not be left without a harvest in any case.

However, this business is also characterized by some significant disadvantages that significantly complicate entrepreneurial activity:

• The total cost of an industrial greenhouse and its equipment is 5–6 thousand rubles per square meter;
• Heating and lighting of a greenhouse complex in winter entails significant costs associated with the purchase of energy resources;
• Growing cucumbers in open ground and caring for them is available to a large number of summer residents and farmers, as a result of which in the summer there is an excess of products on the market and high price competition, leading to dumping;
• Business requires constant study of specialized literature and the acquisition of practical experience.

Registration required

There are three methods of doing business in growing cucumbers. The differences between them lie in the need to legalize business activities - in the first case, contacts with the state are limited to obtaining a certificate from the local administration confirming the farmer’s ownership rights to the relevant land plot:

• Personal subsidiary farming. This status applies to owners of agricultural land with a total area of ​​no more than two hectares. Growing and selling vegetables in this case is classified as the sale of surplus from economic activity, is not classified as entrepreneurship and is not subject to taxes other than personal income tax;
• Individual entrepreneurship. The need to register an individual entrepreneur may arise in close cooperation with retail stores, retail chains, catering establishments and other legal entities that require the preparation of accompanying documents and product certificates;
• Peasant farming. This form of ownership is better suited for a family or partnership model of doing business. The owner of a peasant farm pays insurance premiums in the same amount as an individual entrepreneur, but may also qualify for tax benefits, government grants and subsidies.

Growing methods

In greenhouses, as well as in open ground, cucumbers are grown in two ways: horizontal and vertical. In the first case, the lashes are laid directly on the beds, and in the second they are tied to special supports. It is logical to assume that tying leads to space savings, increases the level of illumination of the plant and improves the preservation of fruits. In general, the following technologies will be used for cultivating cucumbers:

• Growing in a barrel. A two-hundred-liter container is filled layer by layer with soil from a mixture of sawdust and peat, chernozem, wood ash and fertilizers, after which 3-4 bushes are planted here, which hang down freely as they grow. This method of growing cucumbers allows you to arrange a garden bed in conditions of limited space - for example, on a balcony or in a free corner of a summer cottage;
• Growing in bags. Thick plastic bags with a capacity of at least 120 liters are filled two-thirds with a mixture of peat and garden soil, adding a certain amount of NPK fertilizers. Then a vertical support is installed in the center of the bag to tie the stem, and the edges are folded several times to form a side. You can also grow cucumbers in bags on a balcony, in a greenhouse or in a personal plot;
• Growing on a trellis. A trellis is a vertical or inclined lattice structure, a mesh or a system of posts with wire stretched between them, which allows you to tie up plant stems and direct them upward. At its base, bags and boxes with peat mixture are installed on both sides, or beds are formed from fertilized soil, into which seedlings are subsequently planted. Growing cucumbers on a trellis in open ground or in a greenhouse increases productivity and makes it easier to care for plants.

Varieties for cultivation

One of the significant limitations of the technology for growing cucumbers in greenhouses is the difficulty of using bees or other insects to pollinate flowers. Therefore, farmers are forced to give preference to the so-called parthenocarpic hybrid varieties that are capable of forming ovaries and bearing fruit without outside help:

Greenhouse varieties of cucumbers

Variety	Ripening time, days	Productivity, kg/m²	Weight, g
Salad
Zozulya	45–50	8–16	180–230
Vivat	46–55	10–11	90–120
Pinocchio	44–46	11–13	90–100
Prepaid expense	40–44	12–14	120–130
Emelya	40–42	12–16	120–150
Typhoon	45–50	30–37	180–240
For canning
Zyatek	44–48	7–10	90–110
Tsarsky	43–46	7–10	90–110
Palace	43–45	10–12	90–130
Manor	44–48	10–15	90–130
Summer resident	43–45	13–15	70–90
Karelian	43–45	14–16	90–130
Universal
Miranda	40–45	8–10	110–120
April	46–50	8–14	200–250
White Night	42–44	10–12	80–120
Masha	37–39	10–12	80–130
Cellar	43–45	10–16	90–100
Break	43–45	14–15	70–90
Connie	43–45	14–16	60–80
Courage	43–50	15–18	120–130
Director	43–45	18–20	65–80
Hermann	44–45	20–24	80–120
Claudia	50–52	25–27	90–110

To choose the right ones from a huge number of parthenocarpic varieties, you need to take into account some of their characteristic features:

1. Terms of ripening. To shorten the growing season in greenhouses, it is advisable to use early ripening hybrids;
2. Productivity. The productivity of a variety directly affects profits;
3. Sustainability. Among the important characteristics of the hybrid are its resistance to various diseases and resistance to pests;
4. Origin. Domestic varieties are more tolerant to local climatic conditions in comparison with German or Dutch ones;
5. Purpose. The fruits of different varieties vary in size and skin thickness. Some of them are better suited for use in salads, others for canning. In addition, individual hybrids are cultivated to produce gherkins and greens.

Soil preparation

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse and caring for them is greatly simplified with proper soil preparation. For example, in the northern regions, you can speed up vegetative processes by adding fresh horse or cow manure to the soil: when fermenting such a mixture, biochemical reactions occur with an increase in temperature, which ultimately creates a microclimate favorable for the root system and allows you to plant cucumber seedlings for two to three weeks earlier.

In the southern regions, cucumbers can grow in any soil, with the exception of loam and sandy loam. However, in the absence of fertile black soil, it is more advisable to prepare a special nutrient medium by mixing one part of sawdust, humus and turf with six parts of peat, or purchase ready-made greenhouse soil at a price of 500–600 rubles per cubic meter. The mixture is placed in beds 20–30 cm high and 80–100 cm wide, disinfected with a solution of copper sulfate and left for a day.

However, even such soil in greenhouse conditions is quickly depleted. Therefore, in each fruiting cycle, cucumbers are fed several times with saltpeter, superphosphate and liquid complex fertilizers, and at the end of the year they prepare or buy new soil.

Seeds and seedlings

For a farmer with a greenhouse of several hundred square meters, it is extremely unprofitable to purchase packaged seeds in paper bags: in this case, their age is unknown, there are no guarantees of the purity of the variety and germination, and the seller’s markup reaches 150%. Therefore, in the process of starting a business, it is necessary to find specialized nurseries at fairs, garden centers or on the Internet that supply wholesale high-quality seed material.

Purchased seeds need to be processed and prepared for planting:

1. Select large, full-bodied specimens and carry out pre-sowing heating for them - keep them for 25–30 days at a temperature of 25–27°C;
2. Disinfect the seed with a solution of potassium permanganate or an aqueous tincture of garlic pulp for 2.5–3 hours;
3. Soak the seeds for 12–14 hours, rinse and place on a damp cloth until swelling, which usually occurs after 36–48 hours;
4. Harden them by keeping them for 24 hours at a temperature of 4–6°C;
5. Sow in pre-prepared peat tablets or in cups filled with a mixture of soil with humus and fertilizers up to 10 cm high;
6. Water the sprouts daily with water at a temperature of 22–24°C;
7. After two weeks, add an additional dose of fertilizer.

Cucumbers love warmth, so it is recommended to set the temperature in the room with seedlings at 24–26°C with an air humidity of 70–80%. If there is not enough daylight, it is necessary to provide artificial lighting with fluorescent or LED lamps for 12–14 hours a day. A month later, when the sprouts produce the third leaf, they are planted in the beds.

Growing and Harvesting

Controlled conditions for growing cucumbers make it possible to obtain three harvests per year, which is especially important in winter and early spring, when there is a shortage of supplies on the market and the price of products reaches its maximum.

To achieve maximum productivity, regardless of the season, during the day the temperature in the greenhouse is set at 22–25°C, reducing it at night to 18–19°C. The average air humidity here should not fall below 80–85%. In addition, plants should be well lit for 10–12 hours a day, especially in winter, when daylight hours are minimal.

The seedlings, together with the soil surrounding the root system, are planted in double-row tapes with an interval of 40–50 cm in soil heated to 20–22°C with a humidity of 55–60%. During the growth process, plants are cared for by regularly:

• Watering. Cucumbers are watered with warm water: before flowering, the norm is 3–4 l/m² once every 5–6 days, during fruiting - up to 12 l/m² every three days;
• Feeding. In greenhouses, plants are fertilized with mineral NPK complexes once during flowering, and then two to three times during the fruiting period;
• Tweezing and garter. As the main vine grows, some lateral shoots are removed according to a special scheme, preventing the growth and branching of cucumbers. The remaining part is tied to the trellis, directing the stem vertically upward;
• Harvesting. Regular collection of ripened fruits accelerates the formation of new ovaries. Collected cucumbers can be stored at a temperature of 5–7°C for 20–25 days before sale.

Sales of products

Product sales is the most unpredictable stage of the agricultural business. To bring at least some clarity and determine the approximate market capacity, you need to visit retail stores and chains, talk with wholesalers, and consider the possibility of delivering cucumbers to neighboring regions.

It is best to start with small volumes, selling the harvest to private clients yourself. Of course, this method will lead to the loss of at least one production cycle, however, the entrepreneur will be able to reduce risks, optimize business processes and acquire useful connections.

Cucumbers are also sold to wholesale buyers: in order to attract them, it is necessary to reduce the price by 15–20%. However, in this case, the farmer will not have to personally transport the goods to the vegetable market several times a week, hire a seller and waste time on other non-core activities.

Finally, fresh cucumbers are readily purchased by catering establishments, factory and institutional canteens, and accepted for sale by grocery and vegetable stores and retail chains. It should be noted that in order to conclude supply agreements with such clients, the entrepreneur should draw up accompanying documentation for each batch of products.

Equipment

An industrial greenhouse is not a simple piece of land covered with film or polycarbonate. This design is a complex engineering structure, which is impossible to build correctly without preliminary calculations. What to consider when designing:

• Features of the greenhouse. The frame cannot be made of wood, since this material will not provide the required strength and durability. Therefore, galvanized steel profiles are used as load-bearing elements. Greenhouses are covered with glass, film or polycarbonate: the latter, with a thickness of 8–10 mm, is characterized by the highest coefficient of heat transfer resistance, which reduces heat loss from the surface of the structure;
• Layout of beds. The planting scheme determines the number and parameters of all other systems - watering, lighting, heating and soil heating. For example, in the serial model of the “Farmer” greenhouse with dimensions of 7.5x23.4 m, taking into account the passages, you can arrange five beds, each 0.8 m wide. When planting cucumbers in double rows with an interval of 0.4 m, 550 bushes will fit here;
• Heating. Preparation for growing cucumbers in a winter greenhouse requires a thermal calculation, the results of which determine the choice of one heating method or another. In the specified greenhouse at an outside air temperature of -20°C, the heat consumption from the surface will be 47 kW. To compensate for these losses, you can use a solid fuel hot water boiler with a power of 50–60 kW, connected to a circuit of 15–16 radiators with a heat output of 3.15 kW each;
• Heating the soil. One of the secrets of growing cucumbers in winter is to ensure that the soil temperature is comfortable for the root system. For this purpose, some farmers install an additional circuit and bury pipes in the ground to a depth of 30–35 cm. You can also use cable soil heating systems equipped with an automatic thermostat;
• Lighting. Plants need a lot of light to grow and bear fruit - experts talk about values ​​of 9–11 thousand lux. Incandescent lamps do not provide such illumination, therefore, in a business plan for growing cucumbers, you need to include the cost of purchasing sodium or LED lamps. The second option is considered more economical: the number of lamps is selected at the rate of 35–40 W/m² (for sodium lamps - 160 W/m²). In this greenhouse, it is enough to place one LED lamp with a power of 72 W for every two linear meters of the bed, which will amount to 50 pieces in total;
• Watering. To water 550 bushes manually, you will have to spend several hours. It is advisable to automate this process by installing a drip irrigation system, which allows not only to regulate the volume of water supplied, but also to add various fertilizers or fertilizing to it;
• Ventilation. In the summer, this problem is solved with the help of open windows. In winter, cold air can harm plants, so the temperature of the incoming flow must be increased to 20–22 ° C, passing it through heat exchangers in which water heated by the boiler circulates.

Equipment for a greenhouse with an area of ​​175 m²

Name	price, rub.	Quantity, pcs.	Cost, rub.
Greenhouse
Greenhouse "Farmer" 7.5x3.8x23.4 m	282140	1	282140
Greenhouse assembly	–	–	10000
Heating system
Solid fuel boiler 50kW	74000	1	74000
Polypropylene pipe	69	200 m	13800
Steel radiator 3.15 kW	6077	15	91155
Ground heating system	8990	5	44950
Automatic thermostat	2700	1	2700
Lighting system
LED lamp 72 W	6020	50	301000
Cable VVG 3x4 mm²	54	200 m	10800
Circuit breaker	200	5	1000
Ventilation system
Fan 1100 m³/h	3700	2	7400
Water heat exchanger 25 kW	4500	2	9000
Irrigation system
Water tank 2 m³	31000	1	31000
Pump	2500	1	2500
Drip irrigation system	1688	5	8440
Other equipment
Refrigerator compartment 2.9 m³	44000	1	44000
Hand tool	–	–	3000
Garden wheelbarrow	1200	2	2400
Trellis wire	–	–	3000
Thermohygrometer	1000	2	2000
Vegetable drawer	25	20	500
Gazelle car	200000	1	200000
Total:			1144785

Investments and expenses

A business in the format of a personal subsidiary plot is not subject to mandatory registration, therefore, if there is a prepared site, the initial investment in the enterprise is limited to the costs of purchasing and installing both the greenhouse itself and all the necessary microclimate control systems. In addition, this will have to include the costs associated with organizing the first cycle of growing cucumbers:

Annual expenses of the enterprise

Expense item	1st cycle	2nd cycle	3rd cycle	Sum
Seeds, 580 pcs.	1450	1450	1450	4350
Peat cups, 580 pcs.	3190	3190	3190	9570
Soil for greenhouse, 18 m³	9900	–	–	9900
Liquid fertilizers, 2l	440	440	440	1320
Ammonium nitrate, 50 kg	620	620	620	1860
Firewood, 89 m³	115700	–	–	115700
Electricity, lighting	5400	2700	–	8100
Electricity, ground heating	22000	11000	–	33000
Diesel fuel, 50 l	1350	1350	1350	4050
Connection	1000	1000	1000	3000
Total:				190850

It is possible that not all seedlings will sprout or survive the transplanting process, so seeds should be planted with a margin of 5–10%. In addition, the cucumber business also involves the possibility of making money by selling seedlings to summer residents and vegetable growers: the wholesale price of a bush with three leaves in Moscow is 12–16 rubles.

Another important issue that worries greenhouse owners is determining the amount of firewood required for heating. To calculate this volume, you need to take into account two quantities - heat consumption from the surface of the structure and the calorific value of wood, which, for example, for birch is 1900 kW/m³. Thus, with a loss of 47 kW, daily heating of the greenhouse will require 1128 kW, which can be obtained by burning 0.59 m³ of wood. Accordingly, for a heating season lasting 5 months, you will have to purchase at least 89 m³ of birch logs.

Revenues and profitability

The following video looks at growing cucumbers in a greenhouse from a practical point of view:

Video: How to grow cucumbers correctly

The yield of cucumbers of the popular variety “German” reaches 20–24 kg/m², which in terms of one bush is 5–6 kg for the entire fruiting period. Taking into account seasonal fluctuations in product prices, you can calculate the average income from growing 550 cucumber bushes in a greenhouse with an area of ​​175 m²:

Income from product sales

Thus, an entrepreneur will earn about 800 thousand rubles in a year. Taking into account current expenses in each cycle, the profitability of the cucumber growing business and the payback period of the initial investment are determined:

Economic indicators

Conclusion

A huge number of articles, scientific papers and books have been written about the technology of cultivating cucumbers in greenhouses. By studying such materials, an entrepreneur will be able to understand in detail all stages of the growing season and fruiting processes, select optimal climatic parameters, and study the influence of the degree of illumination and the composition of fertilizers on yield.

As for business, it all depends on whether the future farmer has an entrepreneurial mindset that allows him to find benefits where others do not see them. This quality, combined with hard work, perseverance and the desire to receive a decent reward for your work, will help you earn money in any field, including such a promising area as agriculture.
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In this material:

Food production is always a relevant and free niche for business development. People constantly need food, so the demand for this type of product remains stable. One of the current ideas is growing cucumbers for sale. A business plan for growing cucumbers will help an entrepreneur understand the niche and open his own profitable business.

Business Features, Relevance and Goals

The main feature of such a business is the ability to harvest three or more harvests per year, and this is not the limit.

The demand for agricultural products is always high. Residents of large cities do not have the opportunity to grow cucumbers on their own, so they are forced to buy them. If in rural areas cucumbers are usually eaten in season - when they have their harvest, then city residents buy this vegetable all year round, creating demand for products grown in greenhouses.

In addition, growing cucumbers in a greenhouse has been a particularly popular business in recent years. Imports of foreign vegetables to Russia are declining. This allows local entrepreneurs to build a profitable business due to the lack of competitive products from abroad.

Technology and methods of growing cucumbers

There are two main ways to grow cucumbers:

1. In open ground. It is used in spring and summer, when temperature and humidity conditions allow for a good harvest. Irrigation is used to obtain it. In addition, all vegetables are treated with chemicals to get rid of pests.
2. In greenhouses. Usually, in the warm season, cucumbers are grown outdoors. When the season ends, a greenhouse is built above the sowing site. Thanks to this, crops can be harvested all year round.

ATTENTION! In summer, the market value of cucumbers decreases, as does the entrepreneur’s earnings. But in the off-season there is a significant increase in the price of these vegetables. It is most profitable to grow and sell cucumbers in winter.

Advantages and disadvantages of a business idea

Even the most relevant and popular business has its positive and negative sides.

Advantages of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse:

1. Stable demand. There will always be a buyer for these products.
2. There is no dependence on the season. The greenhouse operates all year round and always brings income to its owner.
3. Large plots of land are not needed.
4. Possibility to grow different varieties.
5. The yield in a greenhouse is usually higher, as is the cost of the product.
6. Minimal risks.
7. Fast payback.

1. The greenhouse requires constant care.
2. In the cold season, heating is required, and this is an additional expense.
3. In spring and summer, competition increases and, as a result, the cost of products decreases.

Organizational plan

How to register an activity, options

There are 3 main ways to register such a business:

1. Private subsidiary plot – personal subsidiary plot. This option is suitable for entrepreneurs who are engaged in economic activities on an area of ​​no more than 2.5 hectares. Such farms are not subject to taxes. However, there is also a minus - the products cannot be sold in bulk; they are sold only to end consumers - in markets, small shops and other small retail outlets.
2. Peasant farm is a peasant farm. Registration of a peasant farm is comparable to registration of a legal entity. Such farms are registered when a whole family is engaged in farming activities or the enterprise has partners - for example, distributors, large stores that buy products, etc. Peasant farms have the opportunity to pay the Unified Agricultural Tax - 6%. No income tax is paid.
3. Individual entrepreneur - individual entrepreneur. This is the simplest and most common form of registration of large farms. Individual entrepreneurs have no space restrictions. This makes it possible to constantly increase sowing. The individual entrepreneur pays the Unified Agricultural Tax.

To register an individual entrepreneur:

1. You choose how to submit your application – at your place of residence or via the Internet.
2. OKVED codes are selected. They inform the authorities what type of business is being registered.
3. An application is written (form P21001).
4. State duty is paid.

Required documents:

• copy of the passport;
• copy of TIN;
• original receipt of payment of state duty;
• ready statement.

ATTENTION! You must provide an email address in your application. All documents will be sent to it. Since April 2018, they are no longer sent by regular mail.

Construction of a greenhouse

Greenhouse construction options:

• buy a ready-made greenhouse and assemble it;
• build it yourself.

The first option is the simplest. But the cost of a finished greenhouse is usually higher than one made independently. When choosing the second option, it is necessary to take into account the climate, weather conditions and landscape. It is recommended to immediately build a large greenhouse. It will produce more crops with the same energy costs and will pay for itself faster.

1. It is important that the structure is built on a flat surface.
2. There should be a water supply nearby - this will make it easier to organize watering.
3. The location should be convenient for connecting to the electrical network.
4. It is advisable to have a warehouse nearby to store the collected vegetables.

Purchase of equipment

To build a greenhouse with your own hands you will need:

• cement and stone - for the foundation;
• material for the frame - made to order or ready-made arched posts are purchased;
• material for covering the greenhouse - greenhouse film or polycarbonate.

To maintain temperature and humidity conditions you need to buy:

• soil heating system - so that the greenhouse functions even in winter;
• phytolamps - to improve lighting;
• boiler - for heating;
• hoses - for watering;
• ventilation system;
• equipment for soil treatment.

Purchase of seedlings, selection of cucumber varieties for greenhouses

There are two ways to obtain cucumber seedlings:

• buy ready-made seedlings;
• grow it yourself.

Buying greenhouse seedlings is not the most popular method among entrepreneurs. To save money, it is usually grown independently.

To do this you need:

1. Decide on varieties.
2. Buy seeds.
3. Find containers for cultivation. To do this, you can use available materials. They can even be made from small plastic bottles. The recommended diameter of each pot is 10 cm.
4. Plant the seeds in containers filled with black soil.

In order for seedlings to emerge from seeds, seedlings require special conditions and care:

• air temperature – 25–30 °C;
• humidity – 65–75%;
• daily watering with warm water - its temperature should be room temperature.

After three weeks, when each seedling already has 4–5 leaves, they are planted in greenhouse beds.

The following varieties are suitable for growing cucumbers in a greenhouse:

1. Herman F1. This is the most popular variety. It is unpretentious and grows in any greenhouse.
2. Masha F1. Hybrid variety. Considered early, grown all year round. Feature – high yield. But there is a lot of counterfeit on the Russian market; you need to buy this variety only from an official dealer.
3. Maryina Roshcha F1. This is the result of selection by the Timiryazev Academy. One of the leaders in the Russian market. The variety is distinguished by its durability - the seedling produces a good harvest for a long time. The fruit is more convex, its length is above average - 12 cm.
4. Courage F1. Hybrid. Distinctive features are large bushes on which large fruits ripen. The average weight of each cucumber is 160 grams.
5. F1 Olympics. The variety is intended for cultivation in autumn and winter. It can withstand different temperature conditions and quickly adapts. Feature – fruit length – 18 cm.

Planting and caring for crops

After the seedlings have matured, they must be transplanted into greenhouse beds.

For this purpose, special holes are made, the length of which is comparable to the length of the roots of the seedlings. Planting seedlings is accompanied by watering - the seedling is transferred to an already wet hole and covered with earth.

When all the seedlings are planted, the cucumbers are watered again.

To reap a good harvest, it is necessary to maintain appropriate temperature and humidity conditions in the greenhouse.

Cucumbers love moisture, so they need to be watered often. In summer - two to three times a day, in winter - once or twice, depending on the variety.

Search for crop sales channels

One of the main criteria for the success of this business is well-established product distribution channels.

Ripe cucumbers are placed in boxes. They are stored for a long time, are unpretentious to temperature fluctuations and have a high density. Thanks to this, cucumbers are easily transported - they are not damaged during even long transportation.

Product sales options:

1. Own retail outlets, shops. This is convenient because the goods are sold not at the wholesale price, but at the market price. The entrepreneur does not use the services of intermediaries and keeps all the profits for himself.
2. Renting a point on the market. This method of implementation is no different from the previous one, except that you will have to pay rent.
3. Sales through wholesalers. The most common way. This option is especially convenient for those who grow large volumes of products.
4. In cafes, restaurants, canteens. Catering establishments buy cucumbers in large quantities at a price higher than the wholesale price.

To get the maximum benefit from marketing your products, it is recommended to cooperate with different organizations. For example, sell vegetables not only to wholesalers, but also to catering establishments. Earnings will be higher.

IMPORTANT! Sales must be taken care of in advance. This will relieve the entrepreneur from the hassle associated with the complexity of selling the goods.

Financial calculations

Investments in the project at the initial stage

Initial expenses:

• construction of a greenhouse – 300 thousand rubles;
• purchase of equipment – ​​150 thousand rubles;
• purchase of soil, fertilizers and seeds – 80 thousand rubles;
• purchase of agricultural equipment – ​​5 thousand rubles;
• payment of state duty - 800 rubles.

Current expenses

Monthly expenses:

• payment for electricity – 8 thousand rubles;
• payment for water – 10 thousand rubles;
• heating – 15 thousand rubles;
• taxes.

Income from the sale of cucumbers, calculation of profit and profitability

The greenhouse is open all year round. The average annual cost of 1 kg of cucumbers is 60 rubles.

One greenhouse with an area of ​​200 sq. m. allows you to grow up to 17 tons of cucumbers per year.

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A business can be built not only on the sale of goods, but also on its own production. So, the cucumber business is popular. Growing is profitable and brings profit all year round, because food is in great demand. Opening such a production requires the correct preparation of a business plan and only then the implementation of all conceived ideas. For a year-round business of growing cucumbers, be sure to familiarize yourself with the necessary agricultural technology, calculate the return on production, study the market, demand, and conditions for keeping cucumbers.

Financial expenses

The implementation of ideas for starting a business requires financial investments. It’s one thing if you prefer to grow vegetables using one greenhouse located on your personal plot. But if the production operation is based on several capital structures, rented land and the involvement of personnel, such a business idea will require much more costs, but the benefits will be more tangible.

Include taxes, rent, minimum costs for greenhouse equipment, and loans (if any) in your business plan. Also calculate the approximate income to cover all costs and make a profit. For example, for year-round production of cucumber propagation in one greenhouse measuring 350 square meters. m, you will need about 900 thousand rubles.

To start a cucumber business you will need:

• land plot;
• greenhouses;
• planting material;
• equipment for a greenhouse (heating system, ventilation, shading material (compositions), lighting, irrigation system);
• garden tools;
• removable, hanging racks for growing seedlings.

Do not allow oversaturation of product production, otherwise unsold products will quickly lose their presentation and will only bring you losses.

Ideas for year-round cultivation of cucumbers

They are unpretentious and can bear fruit all year long. However, it is necessary to create all the optimal conditions for growing, from the choice of soil to the temperature. In order for cucumbers to be propagated all year round, carefully select a plot of land. It is not necessary to buy land. It can be rented from a farmer. Be sure to check the functionality of all communications.

The category of highly profitable business activity includes our own year-round production of popular agricultural products in the form of vegetables. Such a business is based on knowledge of basic agricultural techniques, as well as a targeted study of the sales market and demand for the products grown.

Business relevance

Growing cucumbers in greenhouses can be considered a fairly profitable business, allowing you to earn a fairly decent income. Heated areas help ensure optimal climatic conditions for almost year-round, consistently high yields of these popular vegetables.

It is most advisable to engage in growing cucumbers in a greenhouse as a business in the Central, Volga and Southern regions. However, the use of modern greenhouse structures and growing technologies makes it possible to grow vegetables even in the conditions of the Siberian region.

Paperwork

The organizational and legal forms for doing business in the field of growing vegetables can include private household plots and peasant farms.
The first option is the most preferable for starting a business, as it allows you to be exempt from tax payments, and in addition there is no need to obtain permits and certify the products grown.

Obtaining the status of owner of a private plot is preceded by the acquisition or lease of a land plot from the category of agricultural land, the total area of ​​which does not exceed 2 hectares. Next, you should obtain a document from the territorial government authorities confirming the existence of a plot and the possibility of growing vegetable products in the form of cucumbers on it.

Registration as an individual entrepreneur is relevant when owning a large plot of land and an impressive volume of vegetables grown with the creation of an extensive retail network for the sale of products. Certification of products and obtaining a declaration of conformity for vegetables sold are required.

Partnership management of such a business allows you to register a peasant farm with tax benefits and government subsidies.
In the case of conducting business as a peasant farm or individual entrepreneur, it is advisable to choose the Unified Agricultural Tax form of taxation, which allows you to be exempt from property and profit taxes, and also not pay VAT. The choice of a tax rate of 6% promotes the use of net income for tax deductions. The main OKVED code used is 01.12.1.
Vegetable products transported for the purpose of sale to the territory of another region are subject to mandatory certification and declaration.

Purchase of equipment

Developing a standard business plan for growing cucumbers involves entering all the data required for the use of greenhouse equipment.
To equip a small area of ​​land with a modern greenhouse, the following equipment is most often used:

• “Novator-Premium” design at a price of 1.7 thousand rubles per sq. m. meter;
• “Farmer” design at a price of 1.5 thousand rubles per sq. m. meter.
• for heating the soil Green BoxAgro GBA-1480 at a price of 4.4 thousand rubles;
• for space heating KChM-5k-03-M at a price of 35 thousand rubles;
• artificial lighting Ledgrowlight 90w-UFO at a price of 7 thousand rubles;
• rational automatic watering system “Kapel” at a price of 3.5 thousand rubles.

Equipping areas from 500 sq. meters is produced using the following equipment:

• "Farmer" design 420 sq. meters with a total cost of 650 thousand rubles;
• Green BoxAgro GBA-1480 ground heating system with a total cost of 122 thousand rubles;
• heating boiler KChM-5k-03-M with a total cost of 70 thousand rubles;
• artificial lighting lamps Ledgrowlight 90w-UFO with a total cost of 580 thousand rubles;
• rational automatic irrigation system “Kapel” with a total cost of 31 thousand rubles.

In addition, it is quite profitable to use special platforms for harvesting the POU-2, UPNS-10, PNSSH-12 and TNA-40 series.

Hiring staff

Individual entrepreneurs who are starting this profitable and interesting business can do the maintenance of a single greenhouse structure on their own or hire an assistant to carry out the work. Expansion of the area and greenhouse facilities involves hiring five workers.
Processing one hectare of land requires the involvement of a manager, a technologist and three workers. The business plan should reflect not only the work hours of greenhouse personnel, but also the wages of all employees involved in the production process.

Sales of vegetable products

A modern and well-equipped greenhouse facility on a plot of land with an area of ​​five hundred square meters, used for the vegetable growing business, allows us to produce about 38 tons of green cucumbers, which requires a responsible approach to the sale of such perishable products.

The most preferred distribution channels can be represented by large wholesale warehouses, indoor vegetable markets, a network of hypermarkets or stable intermediary companies. A fairly promising way of sales is direct sales at the place where vegetables are grown and collected.
A stable distribution network must be established long before the mass harvest. The concluded agreements must contain the conditions, cost and volumes of agricultural products supplied for sale.

Income/expenses and profitability

The volume of starting investments directly depends on the size of the areas expected to be sown. The optimal size of a land plot for starting a business in this area is 500 sq. m. meters:

• greenhouse structures - 641 thousand rubles;
• heating kits - 122 thousand rubles;
• heating boilers - 70 thousand rubles;
• LED lighting - 600 thousand rubles;
• equipping an automatic watering system - 31 thousand rubles;
• costs for transport services - 60 thousand rubles;
• purchase of seed material and fertilizers - 80 thousand rubles;
• costs for pipes and electrical wiring, as well as additional components - 70 thousand rubles.

Total: about 1 million 700 thousand rubles.

Based on a productivity of 38 tons of vegetables and an average cost of one kilogram of produce of 30 rubles, the annual income will be about 2.3 million rubles.

Annual expenses:

• fuel payment - about 150 thousand rubles;
• payment for electricity - 20 thousand rubles;
• costs for seed material - 30 thousand rubles;
• costs for fertilizers and insecticides - 50 thousand rubles;

Total: 260 thousand rubles.
The annual profit is about 2 million rubles.

For growing cucumbers on an industrial scale, the best option is to use Chinese varieties, which are characterized by fast growth and guaranteed large size. Such cucumbers can be used both fresh and for preservation, and harvesting stimulates an increase in the number of greens.

When choosing varieties, preference should be given to cucumbers that tolerate transportation well and show consistently high yields, regardless of external factors. Competent pricing for vegetable products sold should be based not only on harvest volumes, but also directly depend on the season for selling cucumbers.
The demonopolization of the greenhouse market that has developed in recent years contributes to the formation of healthy competition and creates ideal opportunities for running a highly profitable business in the field of agriculture.