Gardening is no easy year, but optimism does not lose

Lendžu parish z/s “cherries” is one of the largest and most stable fruit and vegetable growers in Rezekne municipality. The production of the farm in Rezekne is offered on a separate stand and is requested by the purchaser. The difficult weather conditions of this year in the fruit and vegetable sector have become a serious test, the winter winter, and especially the wet and cool summer start, contributed to the multiplication of various pests and diseases, but the owner of the farm Dmitry Pavlov hopes that the crops will be recovered in the summer of July and the customers of Rezekne municipality will be able to pamper the cherries and other summer berries.
No apples will be left!
Because of the severe spring frost, this year, the pear and plum harvest, the frost flowers in the lower areas of the apple garden, are not expected, but Dmitry says that no apples will be left this year, there will also be consumers' favorite varieties “Auksis”, “Antey”, “Sinap”. The fruit horticulture is currently occupied by 16.2 ha, of which about one third are non-productive trees. “I changed the old varieties that gave me a bad harvest this year, they broke out, we planted new ones, the garden needs to be restored,” Dmitry says. In the greenhouses there have been cucumbers in the market since Janos, and the new harvest potatoes and cabbages grown under the agro-network have also reached the market. The vegetables take only 3-4 ha in the holding, but they are a significant breakthrough because the fruit trees alone cannot be relied upon. Vegetables also provide a more homogeneous supply of products.
Polish strawberries do not frighten
This spring, the market was filled with imported berries and vegetables, strawberries, cherries, potatoes, but this very aggressive expansion OF Lendžu gardener is too unworrying, as more and more buyers are still choosing local production. “Well, the competition is because they can grow sooner and cheaper. But his own purchaser does not care for the local commodity. Because the local strawberries are different from the Polish strawberries, by taste, by flavour. You need to work, try to be a quality. However, it is not easy to compete with Polish on the European market because there is a longer period of vegetation, more warm days. We also have very good varieties, such as Auksis, for example, but when they are transported farther, they begin to fail. '

The cooperative would be beneficial
Like all the gardeners of the municipality, the z/s “cherries” are sold in the local market. Dmitry Pavlov acknowledges that the “School Fruit” programme is very beneficial, where the farm is in the fourth year, the vegetables also come into small shops and cafes. “There is a problem with supermarkets -- there they have a logistics that we need to bring our products to Riga, and they then share the product with all the shops in Latvia. The double track comes, far away, i time, i'm getting damaged, no chance. 'MR Pavlov acknowledges that the benefit of several gardening cooperatives would be beneficial in this case, but this is not the case for the Rēzekne municipality, although attempts have been made.
“No man who would do it all.” We can grow, but if we do logistics, we don't have time to work on our farm. It takes a lot of time. Of course, if there was a larger volume of production, it would be possible to work on Russia or the same supermarket networks. '
A good opportunity for gardening is the so-called direct trade, which is becoming increasingly popular in Latvia when consumers travel to the farm themselves and buy fresh vegetables.
Offer self-pressed juices
Z/s' 'cherries' intensive use of European Union project support, purchased machinery, built two vegetable storage facilities. The construction also takes place at the present time and on the own resources, facilities for the processing of the products are installed. The production of apples and pear juice has already been started in small quantities last season. “It's been tried, it's good.” Most buy at hot time, less winter. Make rooms to accommodate aggregates in order to meet all the requirements of the food and veterinary service. This is a prospect because the fruit of the second class is still unused. '
Look for your niche
Z/s “cherry” Dmitry's father formed in 1991, after ten years Dmitry took over it. What would he suggest to those young farmers who had just decided to start a fruit and vegetable production? “Everyone must have his own experience, not afraid of mistakes.” But the main thing is to find your niche, think what you like, or what is better. What is the land on a farm that is better. No universal answers. “You need knowledge and need to work,” Dmitry Pavlov smiles.
Anna Rancāne
Autores photo