The preference of Finnish consumers for domestically grown berries is increasing. Finnish farmers are working hard to overcome climatic difficulties and meet this demand with better-tasting strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. For Jussipekka Markkanen, owner of Tyrvännön Marja ja Vihannes OY, “open-air berry cultivation decreases every year, so there is room on the market for more. berries grown in polyethylene tunnels.

They are one of the pioneers in growing berries in plastic tunnels in Finland, based in Hattula. Markkanen notes that they are having a normal harvest season this 2024, with only a few minor issues. “We usually visit nurseries in the Netherlands once or twice a season to see how the plants are growing, etc. Our last visit was just before they started packing up. This time, the strawberry plants looked good, but something happened after packaging and before they arrived at our facility. It was unexpected, but luckily the Favori plants survived and produced a near-normal crop.

It is a risk that has never materialized, but with live plants anything is possible. The primocane-longcane They fell short, but that was already known when we visited. Otherwise, we had a normal season. There were some thrips and aphids, but not in large numbers. Prices have been good and demand for strawberries in July was huge. "The hot spring and rainy summer in Finland were not beneficial for open field strawberries."

Markkanen says that despite consumers' favorable appetite for domestic berries, they are careful not to expand the business too quickly, given Finland's small population. «The key is to grow steadily, but not too fast. Finland is a country of 5,5 million inhabitants, so we should not take too big steps all at once. Plant material is always a risk. To limit this, we buy plants from three companies in the Netherlands and visit them all every season. Pest control is essential; Predators must be released into the tunnels at the right time.

Every year there are fewer chemicals available for growing crops. berries because the legislation is becoming stricter. So our main goal is to use biological pest control,” explains Markkanen.

For them, it all comes down to offering consumers berries with good flavor. «Finns want to eat berries grown in Finland, and every year they want more. Flavor comes first, so we cannot grow poor tasting varieties, especially in the case of strawberries. We are among the largest producers of tunnel-grown berries, but we are not the largest. That's not the goal. Outdoor berry cultivation decreases every year, so there is room on the market for more tunnel area. What everyone wants is berries tasty and of good quality.

Markkanen says his constant growth over the years has been thanks to help from the industry and networking. «We have gone from being a small local outdoor producer to a national operator with 8 hectares of polyethylene tunnels.

Jussipekka Markkanen – CEO of Tyrvännön Marja ja Vihannes Oy – Image: hameensanomat.fi

Today we have about 4,5 hectares of raspberries and 3,5 hectares of table strawberry production. The key to success was visiting berry companies abroad to see how they grew and acquire knowledge. Willem van Eldik (Delphy) played a key role in our expansion. We also made contacts with other Finnish producers, which helped us a lot. You can't take everything you see and apply it directly to your growing practice, because here in the north we have a different climate and seasons.

It ranges between 60 cm of snow and -30 °C to +30 °C in summer, with 24 hours of light a day. For example, we first test new varieties with small quantities and, if it goes well, we go further. However, the weather is not a problem because we only grow in plastic tunnels. Everyone who lives in Finland knows our climate. Every year we package and sell berries for 16-17 weeks. Extending it means building greenhouses, and that is not our future,” concludes Markkanen.