Prospects for growing stone fruits have been discussed by participants of the VI International Scientific & Practical Conference "Technologies & innovations: From The Land – To The Finished Product. Stone Fruits" that held in the city of Uman.

16.06.2021, 09:48

VI International scientific & practical conference "Technologies & innovations: From The Land – To The Finished Product. Stone Fruits" took place on June 10-11, 2021, in Uman hotel-restaurant complex "Sherwood." This event brought together experts in the horticultural industry from different parts of Ukraine and Europe. Thus, the conference attended to 230 participants, including 40 speakers, almost fifty partners, who introduced the latest achievements as for technologies in growing, storing, packaging, processing for stone fruits - cherries, sweet cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, etc. It should be noted that during the break, the hall was ventilated systematically by the modern, powerful system conditioning.

The conference was opened with a welcoming speech by the organizers - Kateryna KONEVA and Nadiya YASCHUK, founders of the media group "Technologies and Innovations."  Oleksandr MATVIETS, Chairman of the Association "Ukrsadprom" - the main industry partner of the conference, also welcomed all attendants. In addition, the welcoming speech was delivered by the Oksana GORDIY, co-owner of the Uman Fruit Company, Chief Business Partner and Partner of the Business Tour.

Ivan MOSTOVYAK, First Vice-Rector of Uman National University of Horticulture, Chief Scientific Partner of the conference, noted the following:

- I am so glad to welcome you all to the holy land for horticulturists. It`s not a secret that the Uman National University of Horticulture is the oldest agricultural educational institution, located in Uman. And, horticulturists are the oldest profession. So, I wish everyone success in the development of this industry!

A roundtable discussion on the theme "Horticultural season - 2021: expectations and reality. Problems of the industry and ways to solve them", with the support of the Association "Ukrsadprom", was extremely interesting and informative for participants. Participants of the roundtable: Mykhailo FEDYNETS (farm "Nadiya Sad"), Ivan MOSTOV`YAK (Uman National University of Horticulture), Oleksandr YARESHCHENKO (Institute of Horticulture NAAS of Ukraine), Oleksandr KOLOTUTSKY (farm "Perlyna Nadrossia"), Yevhen ANOSOV (farm "Perspectyva"), Serhiy OLSHANSKY (Famberry), Yevhen Rassoha farm of Bakhmut Research Station of Nursery of the Institute of Horticulture of NAAS of Ukraine), Serhiy OSTAPETS ("Sady Donbassa"). Experts discussed important and current issues related to the problems of the Ukrainian horticultural industry and outlined possible ways to solve them. The roundtable was moderated by Oleksandr MATVIETS, Chairman of the Association Ukrsadprom.

During the discussion, experts noted their views on how to make the industry to be more technological, export-oriented and more profitable. The discussion also included the theme of the lack of quality planting material.

- The main question that we have to answer today is what is a up-to-date stone fruit orchard? And, how much are we ready to plant stone fruit orchards with the use of licensed varieties?  Can we now grow rootstocks and varieties of stone fruits aimed at obtaining export-oriented products? It was noted by Oleksandr MATVIETS, Chairman of the Association Ukrsadprom.

In the context of the discussion, Mykhailo Fedynets, Director of the farm "Nadiya Sad", expressed as for the sharp-angled themes and prospects for the horticultural industry:

- Horticulture is a very complicated industry. The start is easy but the further movement is hard. Previously, there was such factor as agricultural planning. Today this factor is absent. People rush into horticulture as fast as possible without study the key issues of this industry. But, it should be done beforehand, especially for beginners, due to climate changes, many new problems that are emerging in agriculture year after year. Before the start of growing a new crop, you should first study this matter in detail.

Mykhailo Fedynets also emphasized that promising crops today are Hippophae and Córnus. Moreover, persimmons will become promising fruit for growing in the southern regions of our country due to climate change.  

Thorough legal advice on intellectual property issues during his speech was given by Lyudmila LUKYANCHUK, a patent attorney, advisor of the IP & Law firm "Pakharenko and partners ", General Legal Partner of the conference.

A protected intellectual property ensures that products are safe for consumers. After all, everyone wants to consume quality certified products. Timely protected objects of intellectual property rights provide our protection from the actions of unscrupulous third parties, including those related to registration on your own
the name of the IP objects of the real owners; provide the possibility of licensing or sale of IP, the contribution of authorized capital, use as collateral; and providing protection against competitors during the period of launch of new products, was said by Lyudmila LUKYANCHUK.

One more unique part of the conference - negotiations of the conference participants with the representatives of trade networks, in particular, Fozzy group, Epicenter K, Velmart. Anyone could ask the experts questions regarding the sale of fruit and berry products in trade networks.

- The organized negotiating table is a very important thing today for business development. After all, in this way we expand the supplier base products on supermarket shelves. Local food suppliers are now very important for the development of our sales network. The main requirements for product sales are quality, reliability, and of course, the product price - emphasized Vyacheslav MIKHALEVSKY, the category manager of the direction "Vegetables. Fruits" shopping network "Epicenter K".

Thus, a separate section of the conference was devoted to one of the themes as, leading-edge technologies in growing stone fruits. Moreover, new technologies, best practices, innovative methods of growing stone fruits have been presented by representatives of leading companies in this industry such as: Shaak VALRAVEN, Commercial Director of the Fleuren nursery (Netherlands);  a representative of Ukraine - company Rosetta Agro - our exclusive partner of the conference; Natalia LUT, head of company SAD OK; Oleksandr MATSENKO, head of “Intensive Nursery of the Matsenko family "; Volodymyr ZAMORSKY, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, Head Department of Horticulture and Viticulture, Uman National University of Horticulture; ANDREA KAVICCHIOLI, agronomist for Advice & Consulting Agronomist, Eugen RASSOHA, director, PhD agr. s. Director of the Research Farm of the Bakhmut Research Station of the Institute`s Nursery of Horticulture of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Pavlo BONDARENKO, researcher of the agro-technological sector of the Melitopol Experimental Station of Horticulture named after M.F.Sidorenko of NAAS of Ukraine, Maxym ZARITSKY, GAC Group (Garden Angels Consult Group), Independent consultant in the field of horticulture, Igor Chaika, Commercial Director of the company Agritema, Dmytro FILIPPOV, Head of the company Polyv Service, and Victor CHERVONENKO, chief engineer of firm Soroka with presentation of garden sprayers for stone fruits.

Modern fertilizers, preparations for improving the stone fruit quality have been introduced by Oleksandr STUPENKO, Head of the Science Department of the company ECO ORGANIC, Vasyl BONDAROVSKIY, Director of the company Biochim Agro (EFT Group).

Speakers paid attention to various aspects of the stone fruit business, in particular, to the method of intensive cultivation of sweet cherries, effective methods of protection against weather risks, the fight against subfreezing of sweet cherry rootstocks, and peculiarities of pollination of stone fruits, etc.

At the same time, the aspect of automation has not been missed out. And, this theme was thoroughly analyzed by Andriy SHEVCHUK, a representative of the company Business Evolution. And innovative technologies for fruit sorting have been introduced by Andriana DUNDA, project manager of the company UNITEC.

Another important theme - profitable sale of stone fruits, in particular, the price situation on the stone fruits market and possible scenarios for its development, which was thoroughly analyzed by Ivan KOTYASH, owner of the company Malyn Factory.
 
- Today, stone fruits are in great demand among consumers, because these are valuable raw materials for processing, sublimation, freezing, etc. The most common stone fruits in Ukraine are plum and cherry-plum with a gross harvest of 180-200 thousand tons. At the same time, the gross harvest of apricots almost 80 thousand, sweet cherries - not less than 70 thousand tons. In the last place in terms of gross harvest is nectarine - 24 thousand tons. In recent years, the world`s consumption of fresh cherries has been growing. And, the same situation is observing in Ukraine, was noted by Ivan KOTYASH and shared analytical data during his speech.

One of the main issues about stone fruit exports was raised by: Eduard GERMAN, representative of the company Aurora, Olena KAIZHEN, Director of Foreign Trade and Commercial Activities of the Association "Berry Growing of Ukraine". At the same time, together with realization, there is one more important issue - fruit packaging. And, this theme was delivered in his speech by Oleksandr ANISIMOV, head of the company VITAL TRADING. Other no less interesting themes about stone fruit processing and freezing were covered by Lyubov POLOVOVA, CEO of Subzero LLC, Goran OBRADOVYCH, owner of the company PIGO (Italy), Konstantin KUZMENKO, head of the company Fructon.

The latest technological advances in the cultivation and processing of stone fruits have been presented by 42 companies during all conference day. There were different equipment, fertilizers, plant protection products, tools, packaging, auxiliary materials. The exhibition was attended by such Ukrainian and European manufacturers as BAYER, PIGO, "Polyv-Service", "Soroka", "Ekoorganik", "Nif Agro Provision", Business Evolution, EFT GROUP, Biohim Agro, Agritema, Royal Eco Box, Tekhnologiya, Advice Consulting, Rosana, Club Roslyn, Dolyna Agro, Insolar-Kholod, Kholod Engineering, Arta-Khimgroup, VITAL TRADING, Fresh Business Expo, "Evkalipt P",Subzero, "Fruit Garden", "TEKOM-Leasing", "Polymertcentr", "4stykhii", "Alfainterplast", "Ramos", "Homestil", Quantum, "Netafim", UNIDEX, "Sad OK "," Artika ARTІ ", UNITEC," Elifab "," Rosetta Agro ".

I want to thank you for making such powerful information platforms for horticulturists` communication, as this conference. I am a farm owner and grow sweet cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, cherry -plums. After attending the conference, I got answers to a number of questions that bothered me a lot. This is important for improving my level of professionalism, -  impressions from Ivan Yarmolyuk, chairman farm "Doslidne" (Dnieper region).

A delicious highlight of the conference was the presentation of beverages made from fruits and berries, in particular, liquors of the companies "BAHUS", "Med Zopovednik" from Oleg Kushch, "Ekokray", "Agromarket", "Sad Kvitiv", Bondarchuk winery. And the representatives of the companies "Faini Jabka" and Famberry offered the participants to taste dried fruits, fruit chips, pastilles, jams of own production.

- This is the first time we are participating in such kind of conference. We met clients here with whom we are already cooperating, and do hope to find new contacts for expanding our clients` base. Impressions from the conference are very positive, was said by Vitaliy VASHCHENKO, representative of the company "Technology."

                  Business tour to the leading enterprises of Cherkasy region

On June 11, the participants of the VI International scientific & practical conference "Technologies and innovations: From The Land – To The Finished Product & Stone Fruits" visited two farms of the Cherkasy region, these are "Bioproduct" and "Uman Fruit Company."

"Bioproduct" - a company occupies 30 hectares of plantations of stone fruits, these are sweet cherries, plums, as well as pome fruits, especially apples, pears. And, the Head of Bioproduct, Oleksiy Larin introduced for business participants some garden care technologies.

Director of the company Biochim Agro, Vasyl Bondarovsky presented the drug gibb 3. Gibb HPlus, which is successfully used in the company "Bioproduct" focusing on the drug influence on fruit trees.

Uman Fruit Company is a young sweet cherry farm. And, this farm grows and successfully sells 17 hectares of sweet cherries.

- According to the statistical dates, only 133 thousand tons of sweet cherries have been harvested in Ukraine. But, despite the favorable climatic conditions, only 20% sweet cherries are grown on an industrial scale. I believe that Ukrainians should use innovative technologies in cherry production, and adopt the experience of foreign companies for getting quality products. Only with the use of the leading -edge agro technologies, sweet cherries will be suitable not only for successful sale on the domestic market but the foreign market as well, - was emphasized by Oksana Gordiy, co-owner of the sweet cherry orchard.

Experts Shaak Varlaven, Natalia Lut, Serhiy Grabovetsky, Vasyl Bondarovsky delivered their speeches during the business tour to the Uman Fruit Company. They told detailed more about sweet cherry orchard care. In particular, experts analyzed the main mistakes in the cultivation of sweet cherries, protection of the cherry orchard from frost, drip irrigation with automatic control of watering and fertilizing. Natalia Lut, on the example of the orchard of the Uman Fruit Company, presented technologies for protecting cherries from frost.

The conference was dedicated to stone fruits - that gave a great opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss challenges and ways to solve them, make plans for the season. Current themes will find a place in the journals "Berry Field", "Horticulture and Viticulture". TI ", and at our specialized sites of the media group" Technologies and Innovations".

Registration for the next All-Ukrainian Nut Forum 2021 has already started, to be held 9-10 September, but the venue is still being agreed.

Moreover, the next conference "Technologies and innovations: From The Land – To The Finished Product. Stone Fruits" will take place on October 28-29, in Ternopil.

We invite you to participate or partnership!