March 1 2006, 09:56

Intensive orchards appeal Ukrainian producers

The weekly journal of Ukrainian produce business "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" have already informed about the growing interest to vegetable production in 2006 among small and large agricultural producers. The farmers' interest to new intensive orchards is simultaneously increasing. This information is constantly confirmed at intercourse of the journal specialists, agricultural producers from the various regions of Ukraine, and also transplant suppliers. Farmers are interested in the intensive orchards, both those who have some orcharding experience and those who have not.

Farmers owing a small orchard and vegetable producers find an idea of intensive orchard the most appealing. Generally vegetable producers often reinvest profit gained by their business into orchard establishment considering it to be a good long-term investment. There is also a group of large farms which are interested in fruit orchard establishment of a relatively large acreage. They are usually the enterprises which lost money on grain production past year; this year they have to reconsider their approach to the agricultural production.

The specialists of the Agricultural Marketing Project believe that fruit and berry deficit observed the recent 2-3 years on Ukrainian market is one of the reasons of the growing interest to modern orchards. To the opinion of Andrey Yarmak, the Deputy Director of the Project, fruit deficit will get worse this year in view of the recent frosts which killed a great part of peach, apricot and sweet cherry harvest. Frosts injured seriously strawberry beds, so the prices on this product will definitely grow this season. To the expert's opinion, the dynamics of intensive orchards acreage extension will be even more significant soon.

The specialists of the Agricultural Marketing Project think that Ukraine has a quite good opportunity to occupy its niche as one of the leading fruit and berry suppliers in Europe. Such fruits as apple, pear, plum, sweet and sour cherry, peach and nectarine are the most perspective. However, to implement these perspectives on practice, you'll have to overcome many obstacles as the absence of the basic elements of the produce market infrastructure (wholesale markets, wholesale companies, storage, handling, packing, etc.). Besides, there is no possibility to get long-term loans for orchard establishment; the absence of land market in the country also affects seriously the market.