12/12/2006

Developing organic fruit and vegetables in Poland

There has been a huge increase of land used under organic managment in Poland recently. According to figures of the Ministry of Agriculture, the number of ecological farms exceeded 7000, and the acreage amounts 16.500 hectares. The bad news is that only 5% of the mentioned acreage is used for the production of fruits and berries and less than 2% for vegetables. Growers of organic fresh produce have difficulties in finding buyers, because of low scale production and impossibility to complete large volumes of products required for supermarkets and exporters. The market share of certified organic food products on the Polish market it is still very small. The main part of these products is offered directly from growers , some by special retailers (only in 2006 ten new organic stores have been opened). As the wages in Poland are increasing, the middle class (younger and well educated people) is looking for ecological fruits and veggies more often.

An agricultural enterprise of Danuta and Waldemar Zarzycki can be an example of fruit growers who decided to turn production from conventional to ecological. Nowadays they operate on 9 hectares of orchards, mostly apples and sour cherries. They sell both fresh and processed fruit. Apples and pears are presented in 10 kg wooden boxes or bags containing six fruits. A few years ago growers decided to start processing and now they supply Warsaw retailers (they also their own eco shop in the city) with dried apples, apple chips, and dried cherries (sweetened and without sugar).


Danuta Zarzycki presents ecological apples from her orchards

Sourvce:freshplaza.com



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