Magnit, a leading Russian retailer, launches a new open-field vegetable cultivation project in southern Dagestan in partnership with a local farm under its agro-contract program. On a 120-hectare plot near Velikent (Derbent District), the farm has begun planting peppers, eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers, with plans to add winter cabbage varieties; Magnit has provided advance financing and pre-agreed purchase volumes for delivery to its distribution centers in the Caucasus and Central Russia.
The project has created 50 jobs in the initial planting phase, with employment expected to reach 100 during harvest. According to Sharip Sharipov, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Dagestan, the region's unique climate will allow Magnit customers to receive the first domestic open-field vegetables as early as May, reducing reliance on imports.
This is Magnit's second agricultural initiative in Dagestan: in 2024, the company launched an agro-aggregator in Levashinsky District for cabbage procurement from local farmers. Under its agro-contract program, Magnit supports farmers with financing, consulting, documentation assistance, and insurance; in 2025, supplies from partner farms grew by 9% to 231,100 tons across approximately 90 product types.