III INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR THE HORTICULTURAL AND PROCESSING INDUSTRIES HAS UNITED FARMERS, VALUE- ADDED PRODUCERS AND MANUFACTURERS OF TECHNOLOGIES AND MACHINERY ON THEIR WAY TO DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESS

27.06.2018, 18:14

III International Conference for the horticulture and processing industries "Technologies and Innovations: From Land - to the Finished Product" was held on June 20-21, Kyiv.  It was attended by about 200 farmers, berry farmers, horticulturists, producers of fruit and berry processing products, planting material and manufacturers of technicians from all over Ukraine, as well as Belarus, Georgia, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Holland. The two-day conference has become not only a good platform for the exchange of experience, and obtain new knowledge, but also a basis for consolidating the efforts of agricultural producers, the leading companies, industry organizations, and representatives of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy regarding the formation of a new strategy and the development of the entire industry, which is already become a source for national brands to promote Ukraine on the world market.

The organizers, the informative - publishing project "Technologies and Innovations" included a multifunctional program: speeches of, scientists and practitioners, exhibition of technologies and tasting presentation of processed products, a roundtable for producers of fruit and berries and mead beverages, legal practicum, special table for negotiation and a business tour richen of practical experience. Despite the harvesting season, in any way, the farmers have found free time to visit this event!

The founder of the publishing project "Technologies and Innovations ", the organizer of the conference Kateryna KONEVA said: "For the third time, we are conducting this conference. Today we are talking about how to make value-added products to help you to achieve a higher level of income, provide job creation, and approve Ukrainian producers not only on the domestic market but on the international one."

According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, in recent years positive factors have been observed in Ukraine, which gives a push for the development of viticulture, horticulture, and berry growing. In particular, the healthy lifestyle trend, the orientation of producers to western markets, where Ukrainian berries and nuts are in high demand, at the same time, increase the exports of stone - fruits, garden strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants.

The Head of the Department of Horticulture, Viticulture and Wine Development of the Ministry of Agriculture of Ukraine, Victor KOSTENKO said the following: "There are a number of problems that we are trying to overcome.  For example, barriers on the way of development of the processing industry, in particular, the quantity and quality of raw materials, updating a technical base. The Ministry of Agrarian Policy is trying to solve all these issues, at the same time, focusing on the restore of state support for perennial plantings, simplifying the procedure of obtaining a license for wine production, and adapting the industry requirements according to world`s standards".

The conference thematic has covered all aspects of this business. One of the main topics was "Horticulture: from Creating of Orchard to Successful Harvest". The scientific developments and technological solutions in the field of cultivation and processing were presented by the leading Ukrainian and foreign companies, including the experience of obtaining high-quality and stable harvests. German company BASF became the General Technological Partner. The Netherlands horticultural expert, Peter Van ARKEL, who was invited by the company BASF at the conference, has admitted a great potential of Ukraine on the way of development of agriculture due to rich, fertile land, a good climate, and cheap labor.  

He said the following: "You shouldn`t expect from Ukrainian farmers on their quick overcoming the whole path of development only for a few years. Step by step is the best strategy that includes the latest experience “Tree Management”, in particular, qualitative management of the orchard, qualitative seedlings, proper soil selection, and tree care."

Among them there were: farm GRASS AVENUE, Chance, Vidrodzhennia, Vodogray Plus, Podsolnuh, Yagodki, Private ownership of «Zbinskyi, Agroline Plus LLC, PE Progress Agro, PE Vodawa, Pyryatynskyi Stav, Dobrobut, LLC Eco-garden, Agrofirma Spring 2011, Sadove Kiltshe, Mazhorka, POSP, PJSC Victoria, Corporation Svarog West Group, LLC Sady Donbass, farm Fruit Garden, Company Farmberry, LLC Avrora, Gidberry Ltd., company FruiTech, and Decoplant.

An important theme was the entry of horticultural companies and farmers into new markets through the implementing of innovative processing technologies: freezing, drying, sublimation, canning, making jams, syrups, puree,  natural juices, fruit- and -berry wines, liquors, vermouths, and ciders.

While the whole conference day, an exhibition of new technologies, equipment, ingredients, packaging materials for the production and processing equipment for fruits -and- berries products was operated. The stands of such companies as BASF, VORAN, Polyv-Service, Haygrove, UVC, Eucalyptus P, BTU-Center, Advice & Consulting SRL, Insolar-Kholod, griSol, EFT group, DekoPlant, DBI, FruiTech, and others were the most attractive.

Step by step, Ukrainian fruit and berry producers are gaining their niche on the domestic market and are already entering into the international arena with high-quality products, by doing so, they are popularizing the brand "Made in Ukraine." All participants were able to make sure in this during the tasting presentation of different producers and their products: direct press juices, liquors, vermouths, and ciders, mead beverages, compotes, jams, syrups, dry fruits.

The private winery Dubnyak has presented Polugar tsukrovyi bochkovyi, and Guild of Mead Brewers of Ukraine has introduced about 40 beverages, in particular, mead drinks,  beverage medovukha, mead drinks with different fruits, or mead drink based on birch juice, and Persha Zakarpat·ska Palyncharnya has presented its apple, and fruits distillations. The cherry and plum liquors by the trademark Jagody Volyni; cold-pressed juices by the trademark Najsik; cold-pressed juices made on Voran equipment from farm Valentina; organic compotes, jam and sauces made based on cornelian cherry by Famberry; including dried fruits, healthy bars,  and granola with dried fruits from trademark Spectrumiks were presented during tasting exhibition.

Producers had the opportunity not only to present own products, but also conduct negotiation with the representatives with retailers of Ashan, and Metro. Retailers are especially interested in natural juices, healthy snacks, and other interesting high-quality products.

The themes of legislative norms in the field of production of fresh products and processed products have been discussed during the exclusive author`s seminar "Competitive Challenges and Monopoly Rights" introduced by the leaders of the Ukrainian legal market in the field of intellectual property, IP and Law firm Pakharenko and Partners.

For the first time, within the framework of the conference was conducted a roundtable, dedicated to the peculiarities of production of high-quality organic wines, juices, ciders, including other beverages. The roundtable was headed by the heads of the horticultural industry, owners of berry farms and mediators. In particular, the moderator of the roundtable has been Volodymyr Pechko, the chairman of the Public Union Ukrsadvinprom.  Additionally, the roundtable was also participated by the Vadym Malyshchuk assistant of the People`s Deputy, Alexander Samoilenko the Deputy General Director of the company MAIS, Vasyl Barabash the head of the Guild of Mead Brewers of Ukraine,  Victor Feuer a member of the board of the Association of Transcarpathian Winemakers,  and Oleksandr Litovchenko professor, head of the Laboratory of Innovative Food Technologies at the Institute of Horticulture of NAAS.

Volodymyr PECHKO has noted the following:" We have all condition for the revival of national winemaking in Ukraine, but there are still some problematic issues. What should be done at first? First of all, It must be the reduction on the license cost for production and wholesale and retail trade, and the allowance on wine production with the use of not only own raw materials."

The discussion has shown the urgency of this topic, that helped to identify that issues and problems that need to be solved foremost, to outline a further plan of action.

"It seems to me that such kind of conferences and the consolidation of the entire industry are very important, as it is a necessary stage after the adoption of the laws and, in fact, their implementation. Because only cooperation and a decent representation of the industry is the way to success" was summarized by Vadym MALYSCHCHUK, the assistant of People`s Deputy Robert Gorvat. It should be noted that Robert Gorvart was one of the initiators of the historic draft law No. 6693.

A Business tour was held on June 21 and started from the visit to the Institute of Horticulture of NAAS. Scientists have demonstrated experimental demo plantations of sweet cherries, apples, pears and pilot plantations of berry crops such as strawberry, raspberry, black and red currant, highbush blueberry, blackberries including the tasting of berries.

The BASF Company has shown on the demo-plantation the effectiveness of such drugs as Serkadis Plus, Delan, Bellis, Regalis Plus and acaricide Masai for the apple tree protection system.

The family farm Valentyna has introduced the mobile workshop for the production of cold-pressed juices in action and trailed machine from the company VORAN. They have an apple and plum orchards, warehouse and farmer`s store, with the total area of 9.5 hectares. Thus, the work is organized according to the European-American business model of a small farm.

Inna SEMEROG, the owner of the representative of farm Valentyna has said:" I am very grateful the organizers for showing such great interest to small business!"

By the way, the 2-d International Conference "Technologies and innovations: Berries and Processing" will be held on December 13-14, 2018. The venue is still being considered. The key topics of which will be successful berry growing, methods of storage and berry processing export potential of the industry.  You may follow the news on the official website of the event https://forum.techdrinks.info.