Cutting-Edge Technological Solutions for Boosting Profits in the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Unveiled at the 'FRUITFUL 2022: Markets. Technologies. Niche.' Conference

Professional analytical forecasts for the development of the fruit and vegetable market, production technologies, and marketing of berries, vegetables, and fruits, as well as effective solutions for business development in domestic and international markets, were presented during the Fruit and Vegetable Open Space Conference "FRUITFUL 2022: MARKETS. TECHNOLOGIES. NICHE," held at the International Exhibition Center in Kyiv on February 15 as part of the "AgroSpring" exhibition. The event was organized by the agromedia agency Sapienza and the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association (UFVA).

The Fruit and Vegetable Open Space Conference "FRUITFUL 2022: MARKETS. TECHNOLOGIES. NICHE" brought together professional Ukrainian producers of fruit and vegetable products, technology suppliers for the industry, market specialists, and those planning to invest in the development of the fruit and vegetable business.

The Director of Development at UFVA and founder of Sapienza.Media, Kateryna Zvierieva, noted that the conference "FRUITFUL 2022: MARKETS. TECHNOLOGIES. NICHE" was filled with presentations and communication among practitioners, specialists, technologists, and innovators in horticulture.

“The topics of the conference are dedicated to fruit and vegetable business technologies, niche berries, and promising vegetables, which offer great opportunities for increasing profits in agribusiness,” says Kateryna Zvierieva.

The forecast for the development and activities of global fruit and berry markets, including Ukraine, was presented by the president of UFVA, Taras Bashtannyk. The specialist emphasized the inevitability of export development. For example, regarding blueberries, Taras Bashtannyk expressed the opinion: "The gradual decline in prices on the domestic market is associated with an increase in supply. Consumption cannot grow at the same pace as production. In 2023 or 2024, production volumes will exceed demand, and most producers will have to choose—sell in Ukraine or export. Exporting will become necessary."

The potential and market prospects of niche berries were discussed by Oleksandr Yareshenko, Deputy Director for Research at the Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. In his presentation, the expert focused on niche berries, their potential, and market prospects in 2022. Cultures such as honeysuckle, sea buckthorn, alpine strawberry, blackberry, and actinidia (mini-kiwi) were specifically addressed.

“Currently, there is a growing interest in growing elderberry in Ukraine, which has stirred the market and remains a hot topic among many agrarians. Overall, the berries of this plant have significant export prospects, as they are raw materials for the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, it is important for potential producers to know and adequately assess the potential of this niche to finally decide whether to start working in it. In my opinion, sea buckthorn is also a relevant culture, with market demand for its products,” comments Oleksandr Yareshenko.

The advantages of choosing microbiological preparations for plant protection were discussed during the conference by Iryna Melnykova, head of the testing laboratory at the Institute of Agrobiology, a representative of BioNorma.

“Most of the offers on the market for plant protection products are currently chemical products; we focus on biological components. Our products are microbiological preparations—cells of bacteria or spores of fungi that affect plants through close interaction, such as the formation of mycorrhiza (the preparation "BIONORIA MYCORHIZA"). The action of the preparation is primarily related to the root system of the plant. Mycorrhiza forms on the roots, increasing the area of the plant's root system. We also have the preparation "BIONORMA TRICHODERMA," which protects plants from fungal diseases. This microbiological agent helps displace pathogenic fungi, protecting plants from diseases,” states Iryna Melnykova.

The topic of "Pros" and "Cons" of implementing the GlobalG.A.P. standard in the Ukrainian fruit and vegetable sector was presented by Ihor Chechytko, a representative of the GOODFARM project and a specialist in implementing GlobalG.A.P.

“Having a GlobalG.A.P. certificate confirms that this product meets the appropriate level of safety and quality, and that the product was grown in accordance with national agricultural production norms. Among the advantages of the GlobalG.A.P. standard are: optimization of production management, systematic approach, and obtaining competitive advantages in the market. However, many Ukrainian agricultural producers today are reluctant to certify their production, citing the high cost and complexity of the certification process,” notes Ihor Chechytko.

A new garlic cultivation technology that allows for harvesting three times a year was presented by Serhiy Parashchenko, head of the company "Chystyi Produkt."

“Our technology did not emerge overnight. We worked towards it for 15 years—all the time we were engaged in garlic cultivation. All observations and analyses of sowing at different ripening times, calibers, and so on helped us gradually develop a structured technology that turned out to be the most effective. Today, this technology allows us to plant only once and harvest different types of garlic products—single cloves, single cloves with heads, or just heads of garlic during the last, third year. We constantly improve our approach and have already submitted a patent application for this technology, which is currently undergoing patent examination,” states Serhiy Parashchenko.

Practical cases of implementing resource-efficient harvesting technology and their impact on vegetable business were presented by Serhiy Dushka, director of the production and consulting company “Zamoshna Kraina.”

According to the specialist, the requirements of all vegetable product sales channels are increasing and becoming more stringent every year. Producers cannot stop this process. Therefore, it is necessary to have a roadmap for compliance calculated to the last hryvnia.

“Remember, additional profit can be found both in the field and in storage, as well as in a proper sales strategy. Our company has accumulated significant practical experience in solving tasks related to soil preparation, selection of planting and harvesting equipment, storage project and logistics, irrigation optimization, and selection of processing and packaging equipment, among many other things,” emphasizes Serhiy Dushka.

What farmers gain from automating production management, storage, and logistics was discussed by the CEO of “New Industrial Solutions” Oleksiy Hladyshev during the conference.

“Ideally, the task of a modern agricultural producer is to sell year-round. This way, for example, stable profit can be ensured and the best price for their product can be obtained. Our company specializes not in how to grow an apple, but in how to preserve it, in what form to sell it, and how to transport it to the end consumer. We help calculate how to distribute warehouse infrastructure, how many refrigerators and transport are needed for product delivery, and what is required for effective harvest storage,” states the specialist.

How to improve the quality of organic fruit and vegetable products through a unique fertilizer—sapropel—was addressed by Yuliia Kvitka, head of the agrarian research department at “Ukrainian Organics.”

According to Yuliia Kvitka, sapropel is ancient organic-mineral deposits found at the bottom of lake bodies, one of the rare treasures of our planet, resulting from the biosynthesis of physiologically active compounds from the decomposition of plant and animal materials.

“Restoring or improving soil fertility with sapropel products helps nature balance the soil ecosystem and minimize harmful processes from modern types of soil contamination: pesticides, agrochemicals, industrial waste, natural disasters, harmful organisms, and toxins. One such solution lies in the comprehensive use of our product line TM SaproLife, which is produced based on whole sapropel mined in the Volyn region from the bottom of the unique glacial lake Synove,” states the specialist.

The importance of using pre-cooling technology for berries during the conference was discussed by Andrii Marushchak, commercial director of “Van Dyke Technics.”

“Selling berries straight from the field immediately after harvesting is a thing of the past. To extend the shelf life, reduce losses, and increase the price of horticultural products, it is essential to apply cooling and freezing technologies. Currently, there is a wide range of such equipment and technological solutions available for berry growers. Ukrainian manufacturers also produce such equipment, for example, shock-freezing tunnels that are comparable in quality to European ones but more cost-effective,” informs Andrii Marushchak.

The topic of modern technological solutions for combating frosts in horticulture was addressed by the development director of FROSTLEE, Denys Moskaliov.

According to the specialist, the issue of interseasonal frosts is relevant and will remain so due to global climate changes for European and Ukrainian horticulturists.

“In the fight against frosts, farmers resort to various methods: thermal heaters, films, and lighting bonfires. However, the most effective method is the use of wind machines. Wind machines of the GENER brand, represented by FROSTLEE, transfer heat through forced convection, taking warm air from the upper layers of the atmosphere and mixing it with cooler air across the field. As a result, the air temperature increases, creating optimal conditions for preserving the harvest. Moreover, the transfer of warm air masses is carried out over large areas due to the rotation of the machine's reducer around its axis, allowing heat to spread 360 degrees across the field area,” explains Denys Moskaliov, adding that one GENER machine can protect from frost over 3 to 7.5 hectares of field at temperatures down to -6 degrees Celsius.

How to achieve high yields while saving production resources through the implementation of digital solutions was presented by Mykhailo Vasylenko, director of "AgroConsulting."

“Our company helps increase the yield of agricultural enterprises and reduce production costs through digital services. In particular, we provide a wide range of services—from satellite imaging and zoning of agricultural land to digital farm management systems,” states Mykhailo Vasylenko.

In total, the conference featured over 20 speakers, who addressed various practical and scientific issues of fruit and vegetable production.