Finnish consumer preference for domestic-grown soft fruit is on the rise. Local Finnish growers are making every effort to overcome the challenging climate to meet this demand with better-tasting strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Jussipekka Markkanen, the owner of Tyrvännön Marja ja Vihannes OY, observes: "Outdoor soft fruit cultivation is decreasing every year, so there is room in the market for more berries grown in polytunnels."
They are one of the pioneers in soft fruit cultivation in polytunnels in Finland, based in Hattula. Markkanen notes that they are having a normal 2024 soft fruit harvest season, with only a few minor issues. "Normally we visit the plant nurseries in the Netherlands once or twice per season to see the plants growing, etc. Our last visit was just before they started to pack. This time, the strawberry heavy tray-plants looked good, but something happened after packing and before they arrived at our facility. This was unexpected, but luckily, Favori-plants survived and produced almost a normal yield. It is a risk that has never materialized before, however with living plants anything is possible. Primocane-longcanes were short, but that was known during our visit there. Otherwise, we had a normal season. There were some thrips and aphids, but not in large numbers. Prices have been good and demand in July for strawberries was huge. The hot spring and rainy summer in Finland was not good for open ground strawberries."
He says that, despite the favourable consumer appetite for domestic-grown soft fruit, they are careful not to expand the farming business too quickly, given Finland's small population. "The key is to grow steadily, but not too fast. Finland is a country with 5.5 million citizens, so we must not take too big steps at one time. Plant material is always a risk. To limit it, we buy plants from three companies in the Netherlands and visit all of them every season. Pest control is crucial; you must bring predators to the tunnels at the right time. Every year there are fewer and fewer chemicals available to use in soft fruit growing because chemical legislation is getting stricter all the time. So our main focus is to use biological pest control," states Markkanen.
For them, it comes down to giving consumers soft fruit with good taste. "People in Finland want to eat Finnish-grown soft fruit, and every year they want more. Taste comes first, so we can't grow varieties with limited flavour, especially with strawberries. We are among the biggest polytunnel soft fruit growers but not the biggest. That is not the goal. Outdoor soft fruit cultivation decreases every year, so there is space in the market for more tunnel area. Good quality, flavourful berries are what everybody wants."
Markkanen says their steady growth from a small-scale producer over the years has been through industry help and networking. "We have grown from a small-scale local outdoor producer to a national operator with 8-hectare of polytunnels as a company. We have nowadays about 4.5 hectares of raspberry and 3.5 hectares of table-top strawberry production. The key for success was to visit soft fruit companies abroad and see how they grow and gather knowledge. Willem van Eldik (Delphy) played a big part in our expansion. We also networked with other Finnish growers, which helped a lot. You can't take everything that you see and directly apply it to your growing practice because here in the North we have a different climate and seasons. It ranges from 60 cm of snow and -30 degrees Celsius to +30 degrees Celsius in summer, with 24 hours of light per day. For example, we test new varieties first with small amounts, and then if it goes well, we go further. However, the weather is not an issue because we grow only in polytunnels. Everybody who lives in Finland knows our climate. We pack and sell berries for 16–17 weeks every year. Making it longer means building greenhouses, and that is not our future," concludes Markkanen.
For more information:
Jussipekka Markkanen
Tyrvännön Marja ja Vihannes OY
Tel: +35 8408 372771
[email protected]
www.tyrvannonmarjajavihannes.fi