Co-owner of the farm “Berry Side of Life” Iryna Barzo from the Kyiv region has opened her own production line for freezing fruit and berry products. This project was made possible thanks to financial support from a grant provided by the international scientific and technological company Corteva Agriscience.
This is reported by Finway
Development of Berry Farming in Kyiv Region
Iryna Barzo’s enterprise was established in late 2022 and operates on 12 hectares of rented land. The main crop of the farm is garden strawberries, which remain the key focus of cultivation. In addition to strawberries, the fields also include plots of blackberries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries, honeysuckle, and blueberries. To ensure crop rotation, vegetables and grain crops are also grown here.
Each year, the farm harvests between 50 to 60 tons of berries, as well as up to 12 tons of vegetables. The majority of the products are sold through retail online orders, allowing direct interaction with end consumers.
Launch of Frozen Berry Production
Aiming to avoid losses when working with perishable products, Iryna Barzo has long considered the possibility of organizing processing and storage of the harvest. The grant received was a decisive factor in acquiring modern equipment, which allowed the start of production of frozen fruit and berry products.
“Sales of frozen berries and vegetables are planned for the autumn-winter period to the same regular customers who purchase fresh products.”
It is expected that this new line of business will provide the farm with an annual gross income of about 1.2 million hryvnias. In the long term, this will contribute to the expansion of the product range and increase the stability of the enterprise in the fruit and berry market.