Development of berry farms in Europe: organisational and management issues

Abstract

This paper summarizes the arguments and counterarguments within the scientific discussion on the development of berry farms in Europe. The main purpose of the research is to reveal the possibilities and ways of development of berry farms in Europe, focusing on organisational and management issues. The research object is berry farms and farming. The main tasks of the research are: - to analyse the situation of berry farming in EU and other Europe countries; - to provide the possibilities of development of berry farms at international level (high added value products, high added value business, etc.); - to emphasize key points of further berry farm’s development in Europe. The research covers the actual agriculture management sphere as berry farming. The article provides an analysis of berry farms and farming in Europe with a detailed statistical comparison. There is studied the main kind of berries, that are grown in Europe: strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, currants, blueberries, cranberries and berries nes that includes blackberry, loganberry, white, red mulberry, myrtle berry, hackberry, and dangleberry. Statistical data of the area harvested, yield and berry production is analysed. Organisational and management issues are presented and analysed. The main actual spheres of potential competitiveness and development of berry farms are discussed. Statistical data analysis revealed the main berry growers and the amounts of the main different kinds of berry production in Europe. After the literature review and the analysis of the successful berry growers’ berry farming management examples, the main organisational and management features of successfully berry farm’s development were disclosed. The results of the research can be useful for developing successfully berry farming in European countries. The construct of the research is based on situational analysis of berry farming in the European countries based on statistical comparative analysis combined with in-depth analysis of scientific literature. Data are presented from different statistical sources. Analysed period of data is the year 2013-2017.