Polish soft fruit group Fieldstone is looking ahead to the year ahead with optimism. The family-run company grows raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and redcurrants, but is perhaps best known for its lingonberry offering, being the largest producer of this fruit in Europe.

In 2025, Fieldstone will continue to develop its fruit growing and preservation methods, enhance employee development and increase production, according to Robert Bełdowski and Ewa Kowalska.

“We plan to grow our raspberries on another 7 hectares, mainly of the Malling Bella variety, but we will test new varieties such as Malaika and Serena, which are commercially attractive,” Bełdowski and Kowalska explain to Fruitnet.

“We are currently very busy setting up our new plantation in central Poland, where we will focus on blueberries and redcurrants, but also on organic fruit on a large scale, which will give us an additional 35 ha of production.

“We are also excited to be the largest producer of blueberries in Europe and will continue our efforts to master the production process,” they continue.

“Our customers were very excited to hear that our agronomists had developed a technique for biofortified blueberries with iodine and selenium, which are so scarce in our daily diet.”  

Fieldstone's production has been steadily increasing in recent years, Bełdowski and Kowalska confirm, as consumer demand for fresh, healthy produce grows.

This has been particularly evident in the company's export business, with 76 per cent of its products shipped to key EU markets last year.

Last year, Fieldstone harvested and handled more than 1.000 tons of raspberries, more than 600 tons of cranberries and more than 200 tons of blueberries, in addition to moving more than 100 tons of red currants.

“The berry business is in a positive and strong moment right now,” they explain. “In recent years we have seen a steady growth in demand for fresh berries and, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic, we have observed rapid changes in consumer attitudes, who are becoming more health conscious and looking for natural and nutritious snacks.”

Customers are not only looking for great taste, but also to source from producers who add extra value, i.e. environmental awareness, high labor standards and preservation that makes the fruit safe.

“We are passionate about growing our berries using organic methods that make our products safe, and this is what we are known for,” Bełdowski and Kowalska add.

“We believe these values ​​will drive growth in the berry business, especially for those farms that are leaning towards the idea of ​​organic products.”