Poland has had to endure challenging times. Next to dealing with a drought, the coronavirus made it harder for growers to sell to the local market. One trader has found a solution in home delivery, but sales have taken a heavy hit.
The tomatoes of Miko Farm have taken quite a hard hit, says Francesca Lipinski, sales manager for Miko Farm: “We’re currently dealing with a drought, which doesn’t look good for the tomatoes. In fact, it will really hurt our volumes, as we’re looking at a massive drop in production. For Miko Farm, it means we’ll be able to sell 70 per cent of the produce that we did last season. Sales have not yet started, but should commence in about a month's time.”
Modern problems require modern solutions, and so when Miko Farm had to close their stand at the market, they shifted to delivery to consumers: “The market is being made very difficult, due to covid-19. We will not able to sell our tomatoes locally on any fresh markets, which is a large part of our sales. We have managed to keep some of our other sales going, by using a mobile van for home delivery. It helps both us and consumers alike, so although not ideal, it has been a solid solution for us. So we'll definitely continue this for our tomato sales.” Lipinski explains.
Although current times are challenging, Lipinski I looking towards a future after corona and intends to grow its operation: “Dealing with the logistics has been difficult, but thankfully Poland has solid safety precautions. Naturally the challenge is to follow these rules correctly, without compromise. We do what we can and thankfully we get more requests for the tomatoes every day. We’re looking forward to a future after the coronavirus pandemic, and have been looking for investors for a small greenhouse project in Poland. It would be a greenhouse of 5 hectares, destined for fruit and vegetables. We hope to be able to grow our farm as time goes on.”
For more information:
Francesca Lipinski
Miko Farms
Tel: +48 572 581 509
Email: fravermar111@gmail.com