Scots grower finds Ukraine soil fertile

WHEN the United States was first opened up to development over 200 years ago, the word from pioneers such as Daniel Boone was "go west, young man".

Now the call for UK entrepreneurs is to go east and make the most of the huge opportunities that await in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Leading the charge is George Taylor, who with his family has made Taypack, a business based at Inchture, near Dundee, into one of the major players in a competitive potato business, handling over 30,000 tonnes of potatoes a year and supplying Tesco. Taylor is now looking to new horizons.

He said: "Two decades on from starting on the Taypack route, we are now serving a mature UK market, but we see new opportunities in spreading our wings. Around 53 per cent of the land in Ukraine is arable and formerly supplied 25 per cent of the Soviet farm output. That is where we intend to grow our business.

"The rainfall near the Polish border is absolutely ideal for arable crops, but half of it only comes in the real growing season, which is just about ideal for any sensible farmer."

Corruption and backhanders are a fact of life in Ukraine, but Taylor reckons that this aspect of the economy can be handled with a modicum of good will and an appreciation of the local population.

Taylor has set up KRMG, a consortium of Scottish farmers and agronomists. He said: "In 2006 we started by growing 90 hectares of potatoes near the city of Liov, which was previously peasant country. The initial crop yielded 35 tonnes per hectare, largely as a result of the advice from SAC, whose presence is now spreading through all of Europe."

KRMG now has 2,500 hectares of rented land in Ukraine and that will soon double if negotiations between Taylor and local farmers come to fruition. Up to 500 hectares of sugar beet, a crop that went off the map in Scotland 40 years ago, are also on the schedule, but potatoes will remain at the heart of this new enterprising Scottish venture.

Taylor said: "Land rents are 10 per hectare and labour costs 260 per month, or 80p per hour. However, it is not all straightforward. Fertilisers and chemicals cost the same as in the UK and it has been very difficult to source timber for potato boxes at a reasonable price."

"The big difference [between the UK and Ukraine] is that waste levels are virtually zero. We are able to sell even the poorest quality potatoes, to the local prison service for 40 per tonne.

"It's very exciting, and we have now purchased a redundant flax mill as our company headquarters as a base for our 15 full-time staff."