FRUIT AND BERRY
GROWING IN LATVIA
Edŝte Kaufmane, MŅra Skrŝvele, Sarmŝte
StrautiŪa, Laila Ikase, Silvija Ruisa, Edgars
Rubauskis, MŅris Blukmanis, Dalija SegliŪa
Latvia State Institute
of Fruit-Growing
LATVIA
www.lvai.lv
Fruit growing has old traditions in Latvia,
and the climatic conditions and soil are
favorable for it, especially in the eastern
regions of Latvia. Our fruits and berries may
contain somewhat less sugar than the
varieties grown in the south, yet they have
more aroma and organic acids, and
significantly less pesticide sprayings are
needed for their growing.
CLIMATE OF LATVIA
x The climate of the western part of Latvia is maritime, but continental
climate prevails in the eastern part.
x The cyclone activity is high (120 – 140 cyclones per year), and so the
weather is very changeable.
x Precipitation (rainfall and snow) is 560 – 850 mm
x The yearly average temperature is 6.6 (maritime) to
4.2 ºC (continental)
x Monthly average temperature is about -2.6 to -7.5 ºC in January and
+16.8 to +17.6 ºC in July
x The lowest temperature recorded is -43.2 ºC,
the maximum is +36.4 ºC
x One of the bigest problems for resultative fruit growing are frequent
temperature fluctuations during the winter period from January to
March;
x The growth season (tº over + 5 ºC ) is 180 – 200 days
x Active growth season (tº over + 10 ºC ) is 135 – 140 days
x Average temperature sum in active growth season: 1700 – 2150 ºC,
depending on region
RELIEF AND SOIL OF LATVIA
Lowlands are
prevailing mostly in
central part, in other
regions they are
separated by hilly
uplands.
Soil is very variable. The most productive
soddy calcerous soils, predominantly loams
and drained soddy clay are found in southern
Latvia.
The other parts of Latvia are mostly
covered by more humid acid soils, podzolic,
podzol and gley.
HISTORY OF FRUIT AND BERRY GROWING IN LATVIA
Before the 2nd World War, successful development began in fruit
growing: fruit and berry export was started.
Collectivization and nationalization of farms interrupted this
process. Large extensive orchards were planted for the needs of the
processing industry, so the areas of orchards and brutto yield increased
rapidly at first. This process was sped up by the fast growth in the
numbers of home garden owners. Yet the quality of production was
lacking.
After the renewal of independence of Latvia in 1991, when the
agricultural reform was started, many large-sized orchards were split up
and returned to the previous landowners.
A large number of rather small (10 to 20 hectares) farms were
formed as a result of the agricultural reform.
Many have already recognized horticulture as one of the ways of
successful development.
The importance of home gardening is decreasing. In fresh berry
market, commercial production is already dominating, while commercial
production of pome and stone fruits still cannot meet the demand
3% 3%
9%
9% 42%
12%
22%
1 to 3 ha 3 to5 ha 5 to 7 ha 7 to 10 ha
10 to15 ha 15 to 20 ha >20 ha
Breakdown of farms by orchard area
At present, small orchards (1 to 3 ha) are dominating. Only
6 % are larger than 15 ha, and almost all of these are relatively
old orchards of former collective farms.
222
96 apple
pear
146
921 sour cherry
sweet cherry
235
plum
black currant
96
red and white currant
raspberry
seabuckhtorn
122
41
92 blueberry
627
57
cranberry
Area of new orchards based on subsidies
in 1998 – 2007, ha
Since 1998, when subsidy payment started for orchard
establishment, the areas increased by 2650 ha. Apples and black
currants were the most planted crops.
APPLES
Apples are by far the most widely grown fruit crop in all
types of orchards, about 9000 ha. Yet only 1300 ha of these are
commercial orchards (larger than 1 ha and planted with the aim
to produce fruits for market). The largest part of commercial
orchards: 76.8% (920 ha) were planted in the last 9 years.
Fruit storage still uses mostly traditional cool storage; research
has only started to promote implementation of modern storage
technologies.
According to statistics, about 30-40 thousand tons of apples
are produced annually in Latvia, of which so far only a part are
harvested in commercial orchards.
The amount of apple import during the last 10 years has
decreased about 2 times.
As the diversity of fruits in the market, especially imported, is
increasing, the share of apples has reduced from about 60
thousand tons to 45 thousand tons. Apple consumption per head
in Latvia is 15 kg. Data show that the consumers prefer locally
grown apples. If the yield in Latvia is low, import still does not
increase. 70
Produced in all types of orchards Import Totally consumed
60 57,6
54,6
50 46,5
42,5
thousand tons
40 37,5
36,1
33,9
30,5
28,6
30
Amount of produced, 20
21,5 21,6
17,0
imported and 12,6 12,0
consumed apples, 10 6,9
thousand tons 0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
year
Latvians prefer to have
a wide range of varieties. ‘Antonovka’
In fruit growing the 10
most popular varieties
make only 45.7% of
plantation area.
The most widely grown
old variety is ‘Antonovka’,
which is used mostly for
processing. It is
recommended for
growing only in the
eastern regions of Latvia,
where it has good quality
of fruits.
The assortment in commercial growing has not yet fully
established. In the new commercial orchards varieties suitable
for dessert and/or long storage are dominating - 'Auksis‘ (the
most popular), 'Sinap Orlovskii', 'Antei', 'Belorusskoe
Malinovoe', 'Lobo', 'Rubin' (Kazakhstan cv.),
‘Kovalenkovskoe', 'Saltanat', ‘Zarja Alatau’. Varieties of
Latvian breeding are also planted in new orchards – ‘Iedzenu’,
‘Forele’, ‘Ilga’, ‘Alro’.
Auksis
8% Lobo Rubin (Kaz.)
3% 3%
Sinap Orlovskii
5%
Antej Belorusskoe
4% Malinovoe
4%
Kovalenkovsk.
other
The structure 55% 2% Saltanat
of apple 2%
Zarya Alatau
cultivar areas, 2%
% Antonovka
12%
‘Auksis’
‘Zarya Alatau’
‘Rubin’ (Kaz.)
To avoid fungal infection and lack of available sunshine, high
density and double-row plantings are not recommended in Latvia.
The recommended rootstocks for apple are: MM 106, B 118
(semidwarf), B 9, B 396 (dwarf). Trials have been established for
clonal rootstocks from Poland , USA and Canada. A new rootstock
Pure-1 has been selected in Latvia.
B 396
vigorous 7% B9 Apple rootstocks
20% 5%
M 26
14%
other semi dw arf
9%
other dw arf
13%
B 118
MM 106 3%
29%
MAIN PROBLEMS IN APPLE PRODUCTION
As a large part of the plantations are still young, the
average yield per hectare is not high, yet the average
yields obtained at research institutions and the best
farms – 30-40 t/ha – demonstrate that with improved
orchard management such yields can be obtained in
most orchards.
The high share of home gardens makes the market
unstable and unpredictable.
This hinders the development of processing Latvian-
grown fruits, too, as apples for processing are mostly
supplied by old orchards and home plots.
No system of fruit storage and marketing has been
developed yet.
PEARS The commercial pear plantations in Latvia are
small, only 200 ha, of these 122 ha were planted
during last 9 years using subsidies for orchard
establishment..
The most popular cultivars are 'Belorusskaya
Pozdnaya‘ (leading cv.), ‘Suvenirs’, 'Vasarine
Sviestine', ‘Pepi’, 'Mramornaya', 'Moskovskaya'
and ‘Kurzemes Sviesta’.
Mramornaya
About 34 pear cultivars 4%
are grown in commercial
orchards and, similar to Belorusskaya
apple orchards, the 7 Other Pozdnaya
30%
more popular make up 41%
59 % of the area.
Kurzemes
Sviesta
3%
Moskovskaya
The structure of pear Vasarine Suvenirs 2%
cultivar areas, % Sviestine 10% Pepi
5% 5%
‘Pepi’
‘Mramornaya’
‘Belorusskaya Pozdnaya’ ‘Suvenirs’
MAIN PROBLEMS IN PEAR PRODUCTION
Lack of hardy cultivars with high fruit quality and storage
potential.
Choice of suitable rootstocks and hardy framebuilders which
is very important for this crop.
Winterhardy framebuilders which are a way of growing more
tender high quality varieties.
CHERRIES
The total area of cherry plantations is about 890 ha, of these
90 ha of sour and 41 ha of sweet cherries have been planted for
market production, using subsidies for orchard establishment.
At present, only one sour cherry
variety is being widely grown in Latvia -
the local cultivar 'Latvijas Zemais‘.
Cherry plantations are established
with micropropagated plants, as well as
trees budded on Prunus mahaleb
seedlings and plants from self-rooted
layers.
Better sour cherry varieties with firm
fruit flesh and small stone are lacking.
The growers have some interest also in the planting of sweet
cherry.
The assortment is formed by Russian varieties - 'Iputj',
'Bryanskaya Rozovaya' and the Estonian 'Meelika' .
The local cherries can not compete with
the imported fruits in size, yet the
consumers value them for their good
flavour.
Sweet cherries at present are grown on
P.mahaleb and P. avium seedling
rootstocks.
As there is a lack of winter-hardy
cultivars with high quality fruits, some
work was done by sweet cherry breeding.
Serious damage during the last years is
caused by cherry fly.
‘Iputj’
PLUMS
The total area of plum plantations is 980 ha, of these 57 ha
have been planted for commercial production using subsidies for
orchard establishment.
So far, Prunus
cerasifera seedlings are
being used as
rootstocks for plums.
Plums are grown
mostly for the fresh
market, and for this
reason the plantations
are established with a ‘Lase’
number of varieties
ripening along an
extended period of time,
to supply the market as
long as possible.
The area of 6 most popular plum varieties is 69 % of the total
area. An extremely early maturing diploid variety is 'Kometa'.
For commercial orchards, recommended varieties are also
'Victoria‘, ‘Julius', 'Experimentalfältets', 'Perdrigon',
'Stanley' and ‘Lase’.
Recently, the Eurasia group of plums has acquired interest.
This group is represented by cultivars 'Aleynaya', 'Zarechnaya
Rannaya' etc.
Still, there is a lack of winter-hardy cultivars with high fruit
quality.
‘Kometa’
'Experimentalfältets',
STRAWBERRIES
The area of strawberry plantations is about 550 ha.
Strawberries are grown mostly for the fresh market. The
most important cultivars for commercial growing are ‘Zefyr’,
‘Induka’, ‘Korona’, ‘Dukat , ‘Siurprise Olimpiade’, ‘Jonsok’,
‘Bounty’, ‘Senga Sengana’, ’Polka’ .
Most of strawberry plantations are grown without moisture
regulation systems.
The reasons for low yields are:
-low quality of planting material;
-too old plantations (3-4 years);
-limited choice of suitable
cultivars;
-low level of growing
technologies.
Strawberry production,tons
Strawberry
production has
decreased
during the last
years. The
reason is lack
both of work-
hands and risk-
reducing
technologies.
As result, the number of strawberry growers has stabilized, but
the consumption has reduced because of high prices.
For processing purposes most berries are imported, because
freezing of strawberries is still a problem in Latvia.
BLACK CURRANTS
The area of commercial plantations of
black currants has reached 700 ha, the
average yield is 4.4 t/ha. The most
important cultivars for commercial
growing are : ‘Zagadka’, ‘Pamyati
Vavilova’, ‘Katyusha’, ‘Mara’, ‘Ben
For mechanical
Lomond’, ‘Titania’, ‘Triton’, ‘Ojebyn’.
harvest the best
cultivars are
The reasons which prevented ‘Katyusha’, ‘Mara’,
more rapid development of black ‘Ojebyn’.
currant production:
-lack of cvs. with high level of winter hardiness and spring frost
resistance disease resistance (reversion virus) and gall mite
resistance;
-small area of several plantations and low level of cooperation
between growers;
-low lewel of growing technologies
RASPBERRIES
The area of raspbery plantations in 2007 reached 235 ha.
Average yield is 3 t/ha. Most grown cultivars are: ‘Lazarevskaya’,
‘Norna’, ‘Ottawa’, ‘Skromnitsa’, ‘Meteor’, ‘Tomo’, ‘Kirzach’,
‘Sputnitsa’ and ‘Polana’.
The most important
problems: winterhardiness of
cultivars, disease resistance,
yield, fruit quality, storage and
quality of plant material,
growing management, also -
risk reducing technologies.
For the improvement of the
assortment the cvs. ‘Lina’, ‘Arta’,
‘Dita’ were bred at LSIFG.
RED AND WHITE CURRANTS
The area of plantations is 93 ha.
Average yield is 4 t/ha.
Red and white currants are mostly grown only for processing.
Growing for fresh market is not popular in Latvia.
Most grown cultivars are ‘Red Dutch’ ,‘Jonkheer van Tets’,
‘Zitavia’, ‘Werdavia’ , ‘Rondom’ , ‘VƯksnes SarkanŅs’ .
GOOSEBERRIES
Gooseberries are less important for commercial growing.
Only a few hectares were planted during 1998-2006.
Gooseberries are mostly grown for fresh market.
The most important cultivars are: ‘Lepaan Valio’,
‘Lepaan Punainen’, ‘Kuršu Dzintars’, ‘Koknese’, ‘Perse’,
‘Veldze’, ‘Masheka’, ‘Tukuma Konfekšu’.
The problems in
gooseberry growing are:
fruit harvesting and lack of
cultivars with big fruits
(6 and more grams).
HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRIES
Plantations of highbush blueberries at present are 222 ha, of
which only about 10 ha have started production. The fruits are
sold mostly for fresh consumption.
The most important cultivars are: ‘Blue Ray’, ‘Patriot’,
‘Duke’, ‘Bluecrop’.
As this crop is very
new in Latvia, there is
a lack of experience
in variety choice and
soil management.
Because of high
costs, risk-reducing
technologies have not
yet been introduced
in the plantations.
CRANBERRIES
Several larger, modern commercial cranberry plantations
have been established. Latvia has enough bogs and acid soils
which are necessary for this crop.
The area of plantations is 96 ha, of which only 45 ha have
started production. The number of cranberry growing farms is
30, of these only 6 have plantations above 4 ha, but 11 farms
have below 1 ha.
The local market may be filled with fresh berries and
cranberry products during the next 10 years. Export both of
fresh cranberries and processed products has already started.
Latvian climate is favourable not only for the European
wild cranberry, but also for large-fruited American cranberry.
All new plantations are established with large-fruited
cultivars.
The most
important
cultivars are:
‘Ben Lear’,
‘Bergman’,
‘Early Black’,
‘Franklin’,
‘Stevens’.
SEABUCKTHORN
Recently sea buckthorns are planted
widely, mostly Russian varieties. Their
area has reached 146 ha.
Cultivars for commercial growing:
‘Botanicheskaya Lubitelskaya’,
‘Prozrachnaya’, ‘Avgustinka’.
The diversifying of berry processing is
successful. Most of the production until
now was exported, but at present
seabuckthorns are processed in Latvia.
The most important problem is
harvesting, which is being successfully
solved at present.
JAPANESE QUINCE
In the 1980ies-1990ies the plantations of Chaenomeles
(Japanese quince) increased rapidly. Yet, as good methods of
commercial processing of this valuable crop were not found
then, the area of plantations drastically decreased.
Today, when several interesting processing products have
been worked out for Chaenomeles, interest in this crop is
reborn.
First Latvian-bred cultivars for fruit production are prepared
for registration at the moment.
FRUIT AND BERRY PROCESSING
- The largest processing enterprises which use also Latvian-
grown raw material make juices or juice concentrates , as well as
additives to ice-cream and yoghurt.
- The amount apples sold for processing at present is decreasing,
because in the modern intensive orchards it is more profitable to
produce dessert fruits for which the market demand is still not
met.
- Joining the EU stimulat the establishing of small and home
processing enterprises which process not only the traditional
fruits and berries, but also new crops with high nutritive value –
seabuckthorn, Japanese quince, cranberry.
- At the moment there are about 30 such enterprises in Latvia,
whose activities help to diversify the processed products in the
market.
THE MAIN PROBLEMS IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF FRUIT GROWING:
- Insufficient ties between the growers and the food processors,
as well as between the growers and the market.
- The Latvian Fruit Growers' Association now works only as a
public organization. Cooperatives are starting to develop, but
slowly. Some food processing plants have agreements with local
growers, but others are importing raw material.
- The quality of the product, especially of the pome and stone
fruits, is not always high enough. To improve quality, horticultural
knowledge in the field of high quality fruits must be widely
spread. The varietals structure must be changed also.
- Lack of modern fruit storage and processing facilities.
- Risk-reducing growing technologies are not yet used.
- The diversity of available means for plant protection is limited
because of the small market.
Fruit growing has high potential in Latvia
•Fruit growing has already taken a stable place in the
agricultural production of Latvia.
•In total 11 fruit crops are grown commercially, and their area
has increased for 2650 ha during the last 10 years.
•The production is diverse – fresh fruits and berries, various
processed products. So in comparison with other spheres of
agriculture fruit growing is less dependent on the large
processing enterprises.
•The income per ha is high (intensive orchards).
•Original processed products have a wide perspective,
developing processing at farms and small enterprises.
•Market demand for local fruit production still is not satisfied.
•Increasing consumer preference for locally grown fruits
and their products.
•All these factors work for the development of fruit
growing in Latvia.
Thank you for your
attention!
