Berries cultivated in Ukraine's state-of-the-art greenhouses have a distinct advantage over those imported into the EU market from Africa and Southern Europe. This insight was shared with the magazine "Ukrainian Gardening" by Yuriy Bondaryev, a project manager and independent berry growing consultant.
"African and Southern European berries often have a firm texture and tart flavour," he stated. "Meanwhile, berries grown in greenhouses using the latest technologies exhibit summer-like characteristics: they are tender, aromatic, and flavourful, maintaining traditional size, colour, and varieties."
These berries are harvested at full ripeness and can be stored for 6–7 days. Typically, the distance to the market should not exceed 1000 km.
In high-glass greenhouses, strawberries can be harvested 2–3 times a season—March-April, July, and October-November—using seedlings with a closed root system, the expert explains. However, berry production becomes inefficient during winter due to insufficient light. Raspberries and blackberries, with their long vegetation periods, yield only two harvests per season with long cane seedlings.
In the northern regions of Ukraine, combining tunnels with late blueberry varieties like Aurora, Elliot, allows for harvesting until the end of September.
Yuriy Bondaryev considers early and late production the most profitable strategy in berry farming. "Tunnels are used not only for obtaining early and late produce but also for growing berries in the peak season," the expert noted. "These structures can be equipped with misting systems, shading nets, and special diffusion films to optimize the temperature regime in summer."
Source: agrotimes.ua