Near the village of Polozheve in the Shatsk hromada, within the area of the Shatsk National Nature Park, lies one of the largest blueberry plantations in Ukraine — the Volynska Yahidka farm. In 2015, the founders leased 250 hectares of abandoned land for 49 years; the first blueberries were planted in the autumn of 2018 on 60 hectares, followed by 56 hectares in 2019 and 40 hectares in 2021. Now, more than 380,000 bushes grow on 156 hectares.
Varieties and harvesting
The varieties are selected so that the berries ripen in waves: early Duke and Reka, mid-season Toro and Bluegold, mid-late Nelson, and late Elliot. The harvesting season lasts about two and a half months. The blueberries are harvested mainly by residents of the surrounding Polissian villages, who get to the plantation every summer by buses, cars, bicycles, and horse-drawn carts. The bushes are watered with water from the Prypyat, and the harvested berries are stored in cold rooms with a capacity of 150 tonnes. Part of the harvest is sold to Europe under their own brand.
Bees and honey
The plantation is pollinated by its own apiary of 300 hives and specially imported bumblebees. Honey under the Ukrainian Garden Company brand comes from these apiaries — blueberry, buckwheat, and wildflower honey from the surroundings of the Shatsk Lakes. Non-standard berries are processed into jams, and a craft liqueur is made from blueberries.
Photo: Raion.Biznes, Shatsk.Raion.
