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Strawberry is certainly loved by many, but there is one problem - seasonal ripeness. Harvesting is done in June - July, then it can be eaten only in blanks( jam, jam, frost) or buy an imported product that does not always have good quality due to the long transportation and a huge amount of chemicals introduced into the berries to increaseshelf life.
Is it possible to provide yourself with fresh strawberries all year round?
Yes you can! And not only provide for themselves, but also make good money.
In order to get substantial profits, you need not so much - to work out a business plan, decide on a place of cultivation, choose the best seeds or seedlings, grow a crop and, of course, realize it.
So, we open a strawberry business.
Business plan or calculate the costs and profitability of strawberry growing
First you need to decide how and where plants will be grown, the level of costs directly depends on this point.
There are two options:
- Outdoor.
- Greenhouse.
The business of growing strawberries in the open field is the least expensive option, but it is only suitable for the traditional, summer harvest of berries and for achieving stable, year-round income is not suitable.
It is believed that growing strawberries at home is not a profitable business, such as in open areas or in a greenhouse. This opinion is not entirely correct, it all depends on individual conditions, the availability of free space for planting, and the choice of the right varieties.
Costs for greenhouse growing
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Lighting - sodium lamps with reflectors, with a capacity of at least 400 watts, their number is calculated at the rate of 1 lamp per 1 m² of area. Plantations should be covered at least 12 hours a day - this is also a significant expense item. - Watering - tanks and rubber tubes for the device drip irrigation system.
- Seeds or seedlings - should be given preference to remanufacturing self-pollinating varieties with early ripening, such as: Volya, Sakhalin, Prima Donna, Elsanta, Temptation, Kama, Glima, Inexhaustible, Cambridge.
- Shelving and containers - you can make it yourself, just buy materials: plastic, metal profile or thick plywood.
If you do not want to cultivate strawberries in traditional ways - in boxes, containers or in beds, try growing them in large plastic bags. This method does not require large areas, which increases the profitability of strawberry cultivation, and it is much easier to care for plants.
Profitability
According to statistics, annually, the demand for strawberries increases by an average of 40%.In this regard, the profitability of its cultivation, especially in the autumn, spring and winter periods, can be 100 percent or more.
For example, consider the profitability of a small farm, i.e. there is 1 calf with an area of 80 m².On this area 65 m² of shelves are freely placed, each m² of usable area with fruit bearing plants gives about 5 kg of berries per month - 65x5x400 r.(cost of berries in the offseason) = 130000 p.- profit.
From this simple example, it is clearly seen that even with all the necessary expenses when growing strawberries in a greenhouse, this business is very profitable.
According to experts, the payback of the primary costs of the strawberry business, when growing berries in a greenhouse, is no more than 3 months, to this it is necessary to add another 3 months to plant growth, ovary and berry ripening. The result is that after six months you can get a net profit.
Business strawberries all year round. Agrotechnology of growing
Choosing a greenhouse
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A glass greenhouse is a great option, plants get the most of natural light, there is the possibility of installing an additional heating system. There is probably only one minus here - the construction of a capital foundation is required when it is erected. -
Film construction - light construction, its construction is the least expensive compared to the construction of other types of greenhouses. When using it, one should take into account that the film, even the best, cannot protect plants from the cold, and it’s quite problematic to arrange heating in such a building. Accordingly, the risk of death of plants is high. This design is absolutely not suitable for business, strawberries all year round can not grow here. -
Polycarbonate greenhouse - the best option in all respects. Durable, convenient structure in which you can provide the necessary microclimate, make the installation of lighting and heating devices in full, the necessary volume.
Soil
To ensure intensive and continuous fruiting, ordinary garden or garden soil is not suitable, you must use only enriched, highly nutrient substrate. For self-preparation of 500 kg of suitable soil, you will need:
- Straw( wheat or oats) - 300 kg.
- Mullein or chicken droppings - 190 kg.
- Chalk, ground - 7 kg.
- Urea - 3 kg.
After preparation of all components, composting is performed. To do this, they lay out in a pile in layers: 20 cm straw, 12 cm litter or mullein, urea. Lay out the layers until a shoulder of a height of about 1.8–2 m is formed, its width can be arbitrary, but it is more convenient if it is 1.5 m. When forming a shoulder, each layer is shed warm( not hot)waterOn average, the fermentation process begins in a week. In order for the fermentation to take place evenly, the components are mixed every 10 days, adding chalk in equal doses. After completion of the composting process, the nutrient soil( substrate) should have:
- color - dark brown;
- structure - homogeneous, light;
- ammoniac odor - absent.
When creating a home business, strawberries are grown under the same conditions as in the greenhouse: the level of illumination, preparation of the nutrient medium, watering. The only thing that agricultural technicians recommend to change is the capacity for planting seedlings. In the room, garage or on the balcony there is no need to install shelves with bulky boxes. Instead, you can plant the plants according to the Dutch method in bags or grow them in any kind of suspended compact containers.
Watering
It is best to use drip irrigation to irrigate strawberries. Such a system consists of simple structures:
- flexible, rubber hoses with pre-made holes;
- dropper;
- water source - an ordinary tap or tank for watering.
When drip irrigation water flows directly under the plant, to the root system, feeding it without over-moistening the soil.
How to make money on strawberries - the implementation of
Do not know how to make money on strawberries? Before starting a business, it is necessary to think in advance how and where to sell the products. Given the properties of strawberries( tender, little stored without special equipment berries), this question is very relevant.
Sales Methods
- Self selling.
The method is quite problematic because, firstly, it is necessary to rent retail space, at least some kind of stall, secondly, to buy equipment for storing and cooling berries and, thirdly, to have plenty of free time to trade. - Berry sales to retail chains - supermarkets, private sellers, mini-stores.
This option is not bad. After signing a supply contract, providing a certificate of product quality and a document on the fertilizers used in growing, you can deliver the berries to the trading network and get your legitimate income without worrying about anything. - Berry supply to processing plants.
As a rule, such enterprises pay for the products provided substantially less than can be obtained from the sellers of fresh berries, but there is also a positive point here - volumes. For those with large areas of strawberry planting, this option can be extremely beneficial if you draw up a contract with the company for a long time with regular deliveries of raw materials.
