The Ukrainian berry sector is currently undergoing a transformation phase, driven by new challenges on the global market: increased product quality requirements, changing European regulations, and the ever-growing demand for safe and healthy food. That is why a workshop titled “The Formula for Successful Berries” was held in Rivne on March 27 at the Rivnekholod State Agricultural Enterprise, bringing together about 100 participants – farmers, harvesters, industry representatives, and experts. The event was supported by the “Technologies and Innovations” media group and the “Yagidnyk” magazine.

According to Valentyna Ustianchuk, co-owner of the Rivneholod Agricultural Production Association, the issue of proper berry cultivation and pesticide load control has long remained underestimated, despite constant attempts to convey this information to farmers. The situation worsened after analyzing the quality of berries in the season and communicating with international partners, in particular, during the BIOFACH organic food exhibition in Nuremberg, where the issue of pesticides was one of the key issues in negotiations with Ukrainian exporters.

– Our foreign partners voiced their main request to us – to inform farmers how to grow berries properly. This is an old problem, but now it has become critical. European directives have changed, and the permissible norms of pesticides in berries have significantly decreased. We understood: we need to take the initiative into our own hands, – said Valentyna Ustianchuk about the idea of ​​holding the seminar. She also emphasized that the success of the industry is impossible without close cooperation:

Valentyna Ustianchuk, co-owner of TDV “Rivneholod”

– “Rivneholod” is not just an enterprise. It is a big team: farmers, harvesters, employees. That is why one of the key messages of the event was the need for communication and partnership between market participants. When people communicate, they find common ground, – says Valentyna Ustianchuk.

"Rivneholod" (TDV "Rivneholod") is one of the largest Ukrainian enterprises specializing in the procurement, processing and export of quick-frozen wild and cultivated berries and fruits. The company has been operating since 1950 (since 2001 - a family business), is based in the city of Rivne, is certified in accordance with international standards of organic production and food safety and supplies products to countries in Europe and America.

The substantive part of the event "Formula for Successful Berries" covered a wide range of topics - from modern approaches to growing and protecting berries, changes in current legislation to market trends and effective sales tools. Special attention was paid to product quality as a key factor of competitiveness in export markets.

Yuriy Oboronov, a farmer from the village of Zorya, Rivne district, shared an interesting experience. Specializing in growing remontant raspberries of the Polana and Polissya varieties, Mr. Yuriy focused on how to get high-quality berries even in the absence of a traditional drip irrigation system. For the seminar participants, the farmer demonstrated the principle of operation of the hydrogel, which the farmer has been successfully using for over seven years.

— We have an unconventional drop that we have been using for seven years called Aquasorb. I have a sample of Aquasorb in my hands, which is already eight years old — the French brought it to Ukraine. Foreign experts noted that 1 gram of this drug absorbs from 250 to 400 grams of water. This winter we saw the result with our own eyes: the winter was snowy, Aquasorb accumulated moisture, and where we applied it together with fertilizers, the ground literally “lifted” from the moisture-saturated gel. This thing is needed by everyone: both those who have irrigation and those who do not. After all, it works in the soil for 5–6 years. I give a 100% guarantee of effectiveness, because I tested it not only on raspberries, but also on potatoes, onions, and even home flowerpots, — said Yuriy Oboronov.

One of the global trends today is the fight against pesticide residues. This problem has even affected the field of wild plants, because berry pickers in the forests use household insect repellents, the components of which can get on the products. In this regard, active explanatory work is being conducted with the population.

For four years, Tetyana Melnyk, a farmer from the Rivne region, has been cooperating with Rivnekholod. During the seminar, she shared her experience with the participants, and also talked about her own path to transitioning to organic farming:

Agronomist-consultant for growing berry crops Iryna Pavlova shared her professional view on the benefits of organic farming and the risks of using herbicides. In particular, the expert focused in detail on the issue of abandoning chemical weed control in favor of ecological methods.

– Raspberries react to almost all types of herbicides that exist in general, even those that are allowed on berry crops. Only herbicides that work on narrow-leaved weeds do not create stress for raspberries. The rest cause a lot of stress, raspberries stop growing, and this means a loss of 2–3 weeks in yield. Of course, perennial weeds must be removed. No matter how you wrap them up and to what depth you disc them, you simply spread them across the field. This is especially true for wheatgrass. It will stay in the field for three to four years if you do the right side-dressing. For the winter, it must be rye. Someone may be skeptical about this, because it is just rye. But it has a root system that loosens the soil structure at a depth where it is impossible to do this by any other method. This opens the way for groundwater so that it can easily approach the plants. Rye also saturates the soil with organic matter. If you sow a hectare of rye and plow it when it grows knee-deep, then in terms of physical weight we will get from 20 to 25 tons of humus.

“With the right approach to organic farming, those who adhere to all standards will always have sales on both the export and domestic markets. People today understand perfectly well that the future lies in healthy food, and organics are the path that leads to a healthy lifestyle,” – Valentyna Ustianchuk.

Working in the agricultural sector is a constant test of endurance, where the weather and price swings dictate their own rules. Volyn farmer Bohdan Pushkar talks about how a farmer and a harvester can find common ground when circumstances are against them. Last year, he began cooperation with Rivneholod and is confident that the main thing in this business is direct dialogue.

– There were difficult times, I remember it myself, when products were 10–12 UAH each, and we worked in the red. Then the question was: will we survive, or will we continue to work and look for some other options. Now the situation is different, but there is still no stability. We do not know what to expect from the 2026 season, because there are many factors that affect it. It is difficult to work in such conditions. For example, when it rains for a week, temperature drops begin - raspberries bloom, it rains - raspberries "float", and we do not know what to do with them. We collect them and deliver them in the form in which they are. This is not our fault. And here the word is for the owners of the refrigerators - what decision they will make. At such a moment, it is important to contact each other and find a way out so that the products are paid decently, and so that it is also profitable for you. I hope for further cooperation, - concluded Bohdan Pushkar.

The experience of many years of partnership is often the best indicator of a company's reliability. Viktor Koval, a specialist who has been cooperating with the company for over ten years, shared his vision of cooperation with Rivneholod.

– “Rivneholod” is exactly the company that really creates a team and team spirit. All specialists – from the purchasing department to the quality department – ​​work as one. I will say for myself: working with them, you do not feel like a random seller in the market who has sold the goods and may never meet a buyer again. You are in the team. You are advised by quality and purchasing specialists. You completely trust your partner during the delivery of the goods. You can even not be present at the unloading, because you are confident that everything will be fine: the numbers will match, and the quality that you purchased will correspond to the quality that was accepted on the ramp, – assured Viktor Koval.

Today, Rivneholod has reached the level of direct cooperation with the world's leading manufacturing plants. These are enterprises both in Europe and abroad that produce the final product for consumers. That is why the path of berries from a Ukrainian farmer to a store shelf is extremely long and responsible.

Since the company works mainly with premium clients, the issue of quality is uncompromising.

Such a high level of responsibility explains why the company places such a great emphasis on quality standards. The purpose of the meetings with farmers, as the organizers note, is to convey a common task: only the cultivation and supply of first-class raw materials allows Ukrainian berries to remain part of the global food market.

The issue of safe use of pesticides is critical for the berry business, where waiting times and application rates directly affect the quality of the final product. State Phytosanitary Inspector Viktoriya Ropak spoke about state requirements for working with plant protection products (PPPs) and current legislative norms:

— In Ukraine, it is allowed to use only those plant protection products that are included in the state register of pesticides and agrochemicals permitted for use in Ukraine. These preparations have passed state tests to assess their biological, toxicological, hygienic and environmental characteristics, and also have developed standards and regulations for their safe use. The Ministry of Economy, Food and Agriculture of Ukraine is responsible for maintaining the state register and you can familiarize yourself with the register on their website, — the inspector noted.

An important component of the seminar "Formula for Successful Berries" was the participation of companies producing plant protection products (PPPs), who presented modern protection methods. In particular, the commercial director of Agritema LLC Igor Chaika presented a report on the topic "Biological shield: how to reduce pesticide load and grow export products in the conditions of tightening standards for PPPs", and the regional representative of Yara Ukraine LLC Mykola Panchuk spoke about the peculiarities of berry crop nutrition. The head of the horticultural and vegetable growing technology support unit of BTU Center Volodymyr Silenko presented the topic "BTU biological preparations in berry growing". The regional representative of Summit-Agro Ukraine LLC Vasyl Shvets acquainted those present with the integrated system of berry crop protection from Summit-Agro Ukraine. Also, the head of the horticultural direction of UKRAVIT LLC Vyacheslav Polishchuk and the UKRAVIT protection agronomist Serhiy Tsyganchuk revealed the topic “Ukrainian original plant protection products from UKRAVIT: features of application on stone and berry crops”. Representatives of these companies provided practical recommendations on the implementation of integrated protection systems that allow for effective control of pests and diseases using safe and permitted preparations.

The event was also attended by Ruslan Dedkov, the supply director of Galfrost LLC, a Lviv processing company that is also one of the largest producers of frozen berries in Ukraine.

– I would like to thank Rivneholod for organizing this event. The issues and problems of exporters voiced today actually concern almost each of us. After all, we have one goal: we are exporters, and we want high-quality Ukrainian products to be consumed both in Ukraine and abroad. I am confident that together we will be able to continue exporting competitive products from the country, – noted Ruslan Dedkov.

Touching upon the issue of financial stability, the expert drew the audience's attention to the possibilities of the State Agrarian Register (DAR). Provided that the farmer is correctly registered in the DAR system, he gains access to a wealth of useful information. As Ruslan Dedkov noted, the most important thing about DAR is that state and foreign financial institutions receive information about farmers. They are ready to provide financial support and attract investments if they transparently register their activities: lease of land, premises, etc. Previously, it was necessary to write letters, requests, generate reports and knock on the doors of officials. Today, there is no need for this. Both individual entrepreneurs and farms of any form of ownership can register in the system.

The seminar concluded with a call for openness and healthy competition, which in Ukrainian realities should be transformed into a partnership. TDV "Rivnekholod", which has over 70 years of history and a unique corporate culture with hereditary dynasties of employees, declares its readiness for dialogue with every farmer.

– It doesn't matter whether you will work with us or not – whoever comes to us, we will hear everyone, – emphasized Valentyna Ustianchuk.

This "land to export" approach lays the foundation for Ukrainian berries to remain competitive and for the national resource - land and people - to work for the future of the country.