Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
"Yabluneviy Sad" Shares Experience in Horticulture Business
Farm "Yabluneviy Sad", under the management of Nikolay Oliynyk, the farmer, on the 22th of September hosted a practical seminar on "Modern Technologies of Apple Production and Marketing". The event was organized and conducted by Agricultural Marketing Project (AMP) jointly with Uman State Agrarian University.
In this seminar136 persons participated, they are 65 farmers from different oblast of Ukraine, 20 general directors of oblast corporations "Sadvinprom"; the chief of "Ukrsadvinprom" concern; representatives of supplying and procuring companies; governmental authorities; representatives of local TV, radio, newspapers. Martin Mason, the specialist of past-harvest handling and storing of fruit and vegetable commodities, USA, also participated in the event.
Farm "Yabluneviy Sad" is located in the village Shevchenkove, Zvenigorod rayon, Cherkasy oblast. The intensive horticulture technologies are implemented here. The head of the farm studied the horticulture experience directly during visits to some European countries. The total farm acreage is 5,25 hectares, three hectares from which are under small-stature stocks M-9 and M-26 in the period of production; another two hectares are seedling orchard, 0,2 hectares are for nursery and cool storage for 100 tons of apples. The general trading apple varieties are Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Red Delicious, Aydared, Delbarestivale, Eliza, Renet Simirenko. Orchard yield 2002 was 42 tons/hectare, in 2003 - 50 tons/hectare. Major apple sales channels are wholesale companies and supermarket chains in Cherkasy, the relationships with which were established due to AMP cooperation.
During this seminar questions of present state of horticulture in Ukraine, ways of its further development were considered; the participants discussed conditions of stable apple production, drip irrigation in horticulture and peculiarities of its usage, post harvest handling and storage of fruits, supermarket requirements to quality and quantity of supplied commodities. Some examples of practical experience were given, they concerned topics how to establish and manage an orchard using modern technologies and fruit marketing practices.
The farmers and managers of private households, other seminar participants had the opportunity to study Nikolay Oleynik's working methods and forms, to have his and other specialists' consultations, to exchange own experience with the colleagues. Each participant of this seminar-field day received training materials concerning modern technologies of apple production, fruit marketing trends, contact information, information from processing enterprises and other potential buyers.
As one of the most important results field day participants consider to be the possibility to study practically how to use intensive technologies in horticulture on their own farms. The chance to get new contacts among scientific specialists, potential buyers, input suppliers, farmers-colleagues is also very important for producers.