"We are just finishing the installation of an anti-frost/storm system, to minimise our risk of losses for the coming season, but also to extend our production period. We have also been trialling various varieties to see which one best suits our climate. There are some that I see a lot of potential in, but it would be too soon to say, we need to observe them for one more year to be sure. A variety that thrives in North American, may not do as well in different weather conditions and soil. It's about finding the right fit for us" said Andrii Borysenko from Betec.
Betec's production spans 325 hectares and the season runs from the end of June to the beginning of October.
"We have a mix of older and newer plants, and although we have no plans of expanding our growing area, we do expect production to continue to increase as these newer plants mature," continued Borysenko.
When asked if he had concerns about a saturated blueberry market, as global production continues to increase, Borysenko replied; " I don't see any risk of a saturated market any time soon. Demand continues to increase faster than the increase in produce, and the two have not caught up with each other yet. I see it here in the Ukraine, where our domestic market is also growing. Look at China, where the demand for blueberries is so huge that they have started their own production, but it is still not enough to supply the market. As long as there are situations like this around the world, there is plenty of room on the market."
The Ukrainian blueberries are mostly exported to the UK and other destinations within the EU in bulk. Betec does have its own packaging facilities to be able to supply a finished product to the end customer, but at the moment this is primarily utilised for the domestic market.
"For the Ukraine, clamshells are still the packaging most in demand. There have been a lot of developments for snack packaging and things like that, which would we could look into providing in the future, but for the moment, domestic consumers have shown no interest."
For more information:
Andrii Borysenko
Betec
Tel: +380 44 494 3191
Mob: +38 050 413 57 95
borysenko_betec@ukr.net
betec.com.ua