Good Practice - Project
Establishment of super-intensive orchards in an ecological system
New organic and nutritious fruit orchards for Romania.
General information
RDP Priority
- P3. Food chain and risk management
RDP Focus Area
- 3A: Agri-food chain integration & quality
RDP Measure
- M04: Investments in physical assets
Beneficiary type
- Small-Micro Enterprise
Summary
SC Fresh Bio System is an agri-food company from Giurgiu County in southern Romania, close to the country's capital. Twelve jobs have been created by the firm, thanks to three different Rural Development Programme (RDP) grants promoting ecological farming. This CAP co-funding helped develop and expand organic fruit orchards (apricot, cherry, peach, and sour cherry), as well as food processing and distribution facilities to add value to the nutritious crops within direct sales, and other short supply-chain channels linked to large retailers. Food waste reduction is achieved during the fruits’ processing into compote or jam. Precision approaches to irrigation provide further business savings and circular economy contributions. Climate protection equipment also helps improve crop resilience and protect rural incomes.
Results
- Twelve jobs were created and six employees are under 40 years old. One of the management positions is occupied by a woman.
- More than 22 000 ecologically-certified fruit trees were planted on 20 hectares (ha) of new orchards. These are adapted to local conditions, support pollinator habitats, protect soil and water quality, and reduce emission risks.
- A new short supply chain for local nutritious food will be developed (following the trees maturing and providing annual fruit crops), thanks to the new possibilities for adding value to the fruits.
- Water consumption is optimised by precision irrigation systems that also manage agri-chemical inputs.
Promoter
Fresh Bio System Limited
Funding
Total budget: 1 000 000(EUR)
RDP contribution: 900 000 (EUR)
Private/own: 100 000 (EUR)
Keywords
Ressources
Documents
Good practice report : Establishment of super-intensive orchards in an ecological system
(PDF – 2.7 Mo)
Context
Fresh Bio System is an SME founded in 2017 by a group of young agri-food entrepreneurs interested in innovative organic farming. They also established the Roua Fruit and Vegetable Cooperative, which produces, processes and markets organic fruits and vegetables under its own brands. Overall, the cooperative’s members have completed 17 RDP projects, amounting to EUR 17 million.
Collectively, the cooperative owns about ten ha of vegetable greenhouses while warehouse facilities with modern sorting and packaging lines and fruit capacity for 1 500 tonnes. These are supplied by the cooperative’s 45 ha of orchards that apply ecological cultivation. Research is also a key activity which helps advance standardised, accredited organic fertilisers and plant-based bio stimulants. Fresh Bio System itself has received three RDP different grants for its development.
Objectives
The company’s three RDP projects had accumulative goals to:
- Provide a sustainable income by supplying nutritious food with a low relative environmental footprint.
- Create ten permanent and 30 seasonal jobs.
- Improve the quality of orchard environments by reducing pollution risks, creating production structures, and using crop rotations of species and varieties with high adaptability.
Enhance natural soil fertility and related productivity.
Activities
Each RDP project involved the preparation of land and the planting of ecologically certified saplings, as follows:
- The first project — 7 075 cherry and apricot seedlings were planted on 6.2 ha.
- The second project — 7 210 cherry and peach seedlings were planted on 5.69 ha.
- The third project — 7 720 cherry, apricot and sour cherry saplings were planted on 7.5 ha.
High-performance irrigation systems equipped with rain sensors and a drip system were installed to enable low consumption of water and electricity.
Macro tunnel-type support and protection systems were created to help protect crops from hail and obtain early cropping.
Agricultural vehicles and other equipment were purchased to aid production efficiency.
Storage and processing halls were built (300 m2).
Fruit processing lines, packaging and vacuum sealing equipment, jar sterilises, strainers and capping stations were introduced.
Each project also included distribution components, including the purchase of refrigerated trailers.
Main results
Project results contributing to food security by producing healthy and high-quality food comprise:
- Twelve jobs were created. Six employees are under 40 years old. One of the management positions is occupied by a woman.
- Added value by processing fruit products at the farm level and direct marketing creating integrated food chains.
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the application of environmentally-friendly agricultural technologies and practices, specific to production in an ecological system.
- More than 22 000 ecologically-certified and locally-adapted trees were planted on 20 ha, which promoted biodiversity (better pollinator habitats via soil and water quality) in areas affected by climate change where conventional agriculture is mainly practised.
- Reduced water consumption is achieved by implementing efficient irrigation systems, automated and digitally controlled, equipped with rain sensors and drip systems, which leads to water and electricity savings. Irrigation systems include fertiliser stations that pump, mix, dose and prepare fertilisers.
- Profits are forecast following the completion of orchard growth and fruit maturity phases.
Key lessons
- Working through a cooperative organisation provided useful access to wider skills and new possibilities, such as international retail outlets in Romania.
The quality of products coming out of the farms will be superior, which will allow the beneficiary to be recognised nationally as a reliable producer by customers.
In the project, we recruited specialists in the field on permanent positions, production consultants who inform us and actively deal with the implementation of the latest crop protection and efficiency solutions, which allow us to have a very good perspective for the future in agribusiness.
Contact Information
Email: fresh.bio.system@gmail.com