The Fifth International Scientific and Practical Conference "Berry and Processing: Technologies and Innovations" was attended by representatives of various thematic areas related to Ukrainian and foreign berry farming, as well as participants from Italy, Moldova, Belarus, Poland, Holland. Were discussed topical issues of both domestic and global berry business, innovative technology and equipment, new solutions, and ideas for growing berries.
At the section "Modern technologies of berry farming - a guarantee of a successful berry business" experts, heads of berry farms, spoke about the market aspects of growing and marketing berry crops. Also, first time in Ukraine was held an international congress “Processing and freezing. Creating added value by processing berries: different businesses, different opportunities. "
Pack-Trade company presented packaging materials (boxes, stretch film, adhesive tape), equipment (Itatools automatic strapping tool), and materials for farmers (twine, JUTA agriculture textile).
On December 10, the conference participants will make business trips to the leading berry and processing enterprises of Ukraine - Nikdaria LLC ( iBerry TM ) and TM Yahidky (TM Big BLUE ).
Nikdaria LLC (TM iBerry) (Zhytomyr region, Radomyshl district, Rakovychi village) is one of the TOP-5 berry farms and is the most innovative farm in Ukraine. On the territory of more than 160 hectares, the main part of the area is occupied by blueberries, and Nikdaria LLC grows green asparagus, honeysuckle, and strawberries on 15 hectares. All production processes of the company are automated, there are advanced world technologies - automated irrigation system, crop accounting, berry refrigerator (the only one in Ukraine as of 2021) with an automated system of intensive cooling and storage of fresh berries, modern Unitec sorting line, Sorma automated packaging line. The exception is the manual collection of berries and asparagus, which together with the technology of post-harvest automated sorting and packaging ensures the highest quality of the final product. The quality of the products is annually confirmed by the international certificates Global GAP and GRASP.
TM Big BLUE (Khmilna village, Buziv village council) is an organic farm established in 2016 near Kyiv. The total area of the plantation is 55 hectares. The company is an organic producer of blueberries, its products are certified according to Organic Standard and GlobalG.AP. The main goal is to create high-quality organic products using world best practices and high-quality standards, as well as food safety protocol GlobalG.AP , which provides harvest from late June to mid-September (Duke, Bluecrop, Nelson, Chandler, Eliot).
In addition, this year the farm grew and sold seedlings of licensed blueberry varieties. In the fall, they are preparing to accept orders for new seedlings, which will be sold next spring. And this year the farm together with partners is launching a new project for the production of jam syrups, which will allow new products to take a place on the shelves of one of the retail chains.
The founder and head of the farm Oleh Naumenko will share with business participants the successful experience of running a berry business, talk about the pitfalls that await berry growers in this field.