Articles
RIBES AND RUBUS PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING IN POLAND
Basis for this development was the improved methods of cultivation, production of specialized machinery, private agriculture, state policy and rapid development of the fruit processing industry.
A great boom in currant and gooseberry production resulted from the mechanization of picking – almost 400 combines were produced in recent years in the factory belonging to our Institute.
Berry fruit production in Poland was developed in regions with an abundance of manpower, a result of interaction between processing plants and farmers.
Often processing plants were organizers of fruit production in their regions – many have over 1000 raw product suppliers, some over 11 000.
Most raspberry (and strawberry) plantations are small, on the average 0,25 ha.
Blackcurrant plantations are the exception, due to mechanization of picking.
About 50% of all fruit produced (and about 80% of those purchased from the growers) undergoes processing.
Berry fruits in Poland destined for processing are purchased from the growers on the basis of contracts signed in advance.
In 1992 production of currants in Poland was 217 thousands tons, gooseberries 47 thousand tons and 28 thousand tons of raspberries.
The characteristic feature of our production has been a systematic decrease in the number of cultivars grown.
In the case of black currants the most popular one has been Ojebyn, which possesses many characteristics required by small, as well as large plantations (resistance of plants toward mildew, uniform ripening of fruit, resistance to fruit drop when ripe). Of the new cultivars the ones becoming most popular are Titania and Ben Lomond.
Development of raspberry cultivation was more difficult than that of currants.
In our climate yields are variable – in the best years crops do not exceed 40000 tons.
In recent years the price for all berry fruit was low and production of raspberries dropped.
The same trend is expected in the case of black currants, however it is foreseen that Poland will remain the leading producer of currants and gooseberries in the world.