KIEV: Although many saw the loss of the Russian market as a disadvantage in the beginning, the loss of the market has actually ushered in a new era for Ukrainian agriculture, which has seen continuous growth in the last few years, with no end in sight.
According to Andriy Yarmak, while speaking at this year’s Global Blueberry Congress in Rotterdam, “The Russian ban forced producers to modernise in order to enter the global market, which has been a great push for the industry. Before, they were able to grow their product and just send it to Russia, without the need for cold storage and little regard to quality, because the Russian market took everything. Growers started to see the importance in niche products and a good supply chain with modern cold stores. We see now that some of the former Ukrainian fruit pickers in Poland have come back to Ukraine with the knowledge they learned they and are putting their efforts towards the local economy.During the panel discussion ‘Understanding Ukraine-New Potential in Eastern Europe’, Taras Bashtannyk from U-Berry said the the Ukrainian climate offers a lot of opportunities for blueberry growth, “There is a large difference in the climatic conditions across Ukraine, so once the growers find the right varieties for their climates, it could be possible to help fill seasonal gaps.”
When asked about if there were fears from blueberry growers about Brexit, Andrii Borysenko from Betec voiced that it wasn’t too concerning, “There is so much demand for blueberries, and consumption continues to grow, so even though Brexit might cause more requirements, the UK market will continue to be a good one.”
