"Most plantations in Poland are equipped with modern facilities and refrigerators, etc. All this makes us stronger against adverse weather conditions. For the consumer, this also means guaranteed supply and relatively stable prices. At the same time though, it is certain that prices should drop in the long-term because of increased plantings, in addition to the effects of recent political events, such as the Russian embargo," says Irenaeus Komorowski.
Unpredictable natural threats, such as the arrival to Poland of the Drosophila suzuki, could also have a negative impact, according to the President, as it may discourage consumers from buying the fruit.
In this regard, blueberry growers are weary about the proposals to withdraw a number of active substances regarded as safe until only recently, mostly due to the difficulties entailed in the procedures necessary to register new suitable treatments.
Production
Poland's annual blueberry production has been estimated at about 15,000 tonnes.
"This is only an estimate, because there is no official system in place for data collection. It is known, however, that there have been considerable fluctuations over the years. For example, harvest volumes in many farms recently were between 30 and 50% greater than in 2013. This gives a picture of how the reality may differ from the estimates and how difficult it is to assess any increases in production. But it is certain that it is due to the significant amount of new plantings," concludes Irenaeus Komorowski.
Source: sadyogrody.pl
