In the last few years, the area of fruit cultivation intended for the dessert market has increased. The consumption of berries has increased significantly. Interest in niche genres (e.g., mini kiwi) is also growing.
Production
Farms are starting to be run by a new generation of gardeners who look at the business from a business angle. For them, the most important thing is profitability, not sales at any price, below costs. They invest in new technologies and focus on high fruit quality.
Production technology has changed to a more professional one. The planting area under tunnels is increasing, and this is an upward trend. Cultivation undercover allows for the production of the highest quality fruit. They use specialized fertilization (fertigation).
Rising production costs raise many concerns among manufacturers. Not only means of production (especially fertilizers) but also transport and packaging are becoming more expensive.
Challenges
The sector's biggest problem is labor costs and the availability of seasonal workers. Poles are not willing to do this type of work, and the availability of workers from Ukraine will soon end. They will most likely return to their country after the end of the war. The solution is to look for labor from other parts of the world. The Polish legal regulations lack provisions facilitating the recruitment of employees, e.g., from Asia (e.g., India, Uzbekistan) and Africa.
Another very big problem is the impoverishment of society - in times of crisis, not everyone can afford to buy berries.
An opportunity is the integration of the industry in marketing activities. The popularity of berries among consumers is increasing, and their awareness of the high quality of Polish fruit has changed. The media should maintain a positive message about Polish berries and encourage people to choose products from Poland.
Thanks to promotional campaigns covering all berries comprehensively, the industry has been consolidated. The campaigns contributed to an increase in consumption, which is already confirmed by research conducted by a research institute Kantar.
It is very important to maintain outlets. – In order to continue and maintain positive changes in the sector, Polish producers should compete primarily with the quality of fruit.
Source: www.agroberichtenbuitenland.nl.