The participants of the Russian berry production sphere have broken the downward trend on berry production in the Russian Federation. Beginning from 2016, berry production acreage has slowly been increasing and in 2018 berry producers have achieved a record-setting increase of 25% compared to the previous year, having harvested 15.8 tons of produce.
The producers and farmers engaged in growing berries are expanding the variety of assortment, introducing new varieties, and modernizing the whole supply chain from growing to processing.
The Berry Union, created in 2018, enables development of the industry, networking among the union participants and with representatives of adjacent spheres and the authorities, as well as helping the producers share information and receiving the needed knowledge based on the experience of Russian and foreign experts.
One of the main events of the year is the annual international conference Berries of Russia, organized by the Union, that was held in 2020 for the third time in Kazan. The conference united 300 producers and berry processors, as well as suppliers of seedlings, young plants, plant protection and fertilizers. Wholesale and retail business representatives, growing and packaging material and equipment producers as well as scientific and educational institutions representatives were also present.
The conference was opened by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan, Mr. Ildus Gabdrakhmanov and the Chairman of the Berry Union, Mr. Pavel Grudinin. Over 30 experts from the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Poland, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia gave presentations.
The central topics of the conference this year were the following: the economics of berry growing in the world and Russia; cases of success in berry growing, mistakes, issues and ways of solving them; directions of product distribution; new berry varieties for the Russian market and many others.
Dutch nursery Flevoplant, acting as a general sponsor of the conference, conducted a seminar on new varieties of berries in the Russian market.
Over 20 producers of materials and equipment for growing, packaging and processing of berry produce presented their goods within the exposition Berries of Russia 2020.
Source: www.ruspitomniki.ru