Three blueberry producers in Ukraine will work through the UA GROWERS export platform in the 2026 season, consolidating more than 350 hectares of fruit-bearing plantations, over 2,000 square metres of storage, and automated sorting lines with a combined capacity of up to 20 tons per day.
The model brings together Nikdaria LLC, Family Garden LLC, and Vitamin UA LLC. According to coordinator Yevhenii Kharlan, the companies will operate within a shared system covering post-harvest handling, quality control, and sales. This replaces a structure where each producer managed logistics and exports independently with a centralised approach.
The system is designed to improve scale efficiency. Producers share sales and logistics functions, reducing operating costs and strengthening negotiating capacity. Buyers are supplied with larger, more consistent volumes, with defined quality and supply parameters.
Sales are organised through a European trader in Antwerp, where the platform rents cold storage. This allows consolidation of produce, monitoring of quality, batch formation, and alignment with European logistics systems. For buyers, this supports a more predictable supply, while for producers it improves access to EU markets.
All participating companies are certified under GlobalG.A.P., GRASP, SMETA, SEDEX, C.o.C., and HACCP. This combination of certification, infrastructure, and shared operations supports access to European retail and trading channels.
"When you have scale, professional post-harvest handling, sorting, cold chain, and clear quality standards, a producer gains a completely different level of commercial opportunity in foreign markets," said Yevhenii Kharlan.
Market participants note that European buyers require consistency of quality, reliable supply, and structured export processes. The UA GROWERS model is based on integrating these functions within a single platform to support international market access.
Source: EastFruit
