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There is demand for strawberries throughout the year. That is why growing strawberries as a business can be very profitable, if you approach this issue wisely.

Given the high demand for this product, it is very profitable to grow it for sale. The strawberry business brings good year-round income with moderate initial investment.

Pros and Cons of the Strawberry Business

A feature of growing strawberries is that it depends heavily on weather conditions. Therefore, to make a profit all year round, you have to try hard. To do this, you need to spend money on greenhouses, and then carefully care for strawberries, since this berry is quite whimsical. However, for all his efforts, the businessman will be rewarded, since the cost of production even in the season is not the smallest. If you sell strawberries in winter, then its price will be higher than meat.

You can grow strawberries in open ground. However, in this case, it’s okay to earn money only in the summer, or rather in those months that differ in fairly warm weather in a particular region.

If you spend money on arranging greenhouses, growing strawberries as a business can be profitable year-round. You don’t have to worry about the vagaries of the weather. When growing berries in a greenhouse, you can return all the investments in a few months. In some cases, profitability reaches 100%.

The main disadvantage of growing strawberries in a greenhouse is a significant amount of investment. If for open ground one hectare accounts for about ten thousand dollars, then for the arrangement of a special enclosed space, more than 100 thousand will be needed. In this case, the plants will have to be pollinated artificially, and the berries themselves will taste slightly different from those grown in the open ground, unfortunately, not for the better. Nevertheless, the greenhouse is best suited for business and brings the greatest profit.

What will you have to spend money on?

To open a strawberry business is necessary, to begin to purchase seedlings. This berry is perennial, therefore, having planted it once, you can harvest a good crop for a long time.  Strawberry propagates by antennae. In order for the berries to grow well all year round, it is necessary to purchase seedlings grown from antennae of the first and second order. The rosette of the seedling should be well developed and have strong roots.

In addition to seedlings, you will need to purchase everything you need for their normal growth all year round. The largest investment requires a greenhouse. Its cost depends on the material of manufacture. Greenhouses for growing berries can be covered with film, glass or polycarbonate materials.

Minimum costs await the entrepreneur who decides to stay on the first option. However, film greenhouses are suitable exclusively for those areas where there are no severe frosts.

Glass and polycarbonate greenhouses are more expensive, but at the same time as durable as possible. They can be equipped in such a way as to conduct heating in the room.

If an entrepreneur decided to thoroughly open a business (strawberry cultivation), it is worth stopping your choice on the second or third option.

How to care for strawberries?

First, seedlings are planted in boxes with peat. It is better to get soil from professional manufacturers. In this case, you can get a perfectly balanced soil for growing strawberries.

Transplanting strawberries into beds is best in March. After the first harvest is fully harvested, the land needs to be plowed. This will help achieve better yields the next time.

For normal berry growth, it is necessary to water them periodically. Strawberries love water, so you do not need to save on it. This procedure should be performed correctly. Strawberry bushes are watered under the root, it is important not to touch the leaves and berries. It is advisable to install a drip irrigation system.

In winter, you can also get a crop. For this, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of at least 17 degrees in the greenhouse. During this period, you need to feed the plants with special fertilizers and do not forget about the need for artificial pollination.

Product sales

Growing strawberries is only half the battle; it is equally important to find a market.

It is advisable to resolve this issue at the initial stage, that is, before making serious investments in the strawberry business. It may well be that this niche is already fully occupied in the region, that is, the market is oversaturated with similar products.

Strawberries are delivered to customers in plastic boxes. They also need to be purchased in sufficient quantities. Locations for the sale of goods depend on the season. In the summer, you can trade berries in the market, and in winter it is better to sell products in supermarkets. In the latter case, very much attention is paid to the quality of the goods. Stores accept only high-quality and very beautiful strawberries. The most important tastes for the market. From berries that do not have a presentation, you can prepare for sale jams and juices. They are also in good demand.

Is strawberry business profitable?

Speaking about the issue of profitability, it is worth noting that a lot depends on the region in which strawberries are grown, sales of products and sales volumes. The less competition, the higher the profit.

On average, about 100 thousand dollars are needed per hectare of land. This amount includes a greenhouse, fertilizers, high-quality seedlings and consumables. Some amount will have to be paid for water and heating the premises for growing berries.

With the right approach, about 250 thousand dollars can be earned per hectare in one year. Thus, the payback period of the business will be less than six months. These are excellent indicators, but this level can be achieved only if the businessman works hard and love what he does.

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Strawberries are a tasty and healthy berry that is eaten fresh and actively used in cooking. Its only drawback is seasonality. You can pamper yourself with fragrant juicy strawberries only a couple of months a year. In supermarkets they sell imported berries, but they cannot be compared with the exquisite summer delicacy from their own summer cottage. Growing delicious fragrant strawberries can be a very promising business, bringing a steady income.

Growing strawberries has many advantages:

• the berry has excellent taste;
• strawberries are undemanding to care and are characterized by high productivity;
• the berry can be sold fresh and used for homemade products and semi-finished products;
• different cultivation options are possible;
• the business does not require large investments and quickly brings income.

There are many ways to grow strawberries. Many lovers start with mini plantations located in their own apartment. Seasonal business can be organized by growing berries in the open field, on a suburban area or a specially organized farm.

A larger harvest will be provided by their own greenhouses, which are often combined with open plantations. Each method has its pros and cons, for an entrepreneur who plans to grow strawberries in industrial volumes, it is worth weighing the pros and cons in advance.

What kind of business you can open with minimal investment and get a guaranteed profit, you can find out

The most popular ways to grow strawberries

How to grow strawberries all year round at home?

In the conditions of a city apartment, you can organize a miniature plantation by equipping racks on an insulated loggia. This option may be an excellent training ground for a novice entrepreneur.

The productivity of a mini-greenhouse is quite comparable with industrial options, only its small area can be a limitation. You can plant strawberry bushes in pots or in plastic bags. For growing, suitable early-growing repairing varieties that bear fruit several times a year are suitable.

For successful fruiting, you need good lighting, properly organized watering and top dressing. It is recommended to alternate complex and organic fertilizers.  At home, you can grow not only adult fruiting bushes, but also seedlings for replacement. It’s cheaper to grow your own young seed bushes than to buy them from greenhouse owners.

The productivity of the home greenhouse is quite high. With correctly selected varieties, it will be up to 4 kg of berries per 1 sq. m

Promising and cost-effective and interesting offers in the article by reference.

How to grow strawberries in the open ground: step by step instructions

To grow strawberries in an open way, you can use the summer cottage or rent land from the countryside. Strawberries, ripened in the open, have a particularly vivid taste and aroma.

In addition, you can save on the construction of greenhouses, lighting and heating. Of the minuses of the method can be noted the seasonality of the business. In the open ground, strawberries will bear fruit only 2 months a year.

For open plantations, classic and repairing varieties of domestic and foreign breeding are suitable: Korona, Tribute, Pineapple, Koroleva Elizaveta, Sakhalinskaya, etc. It is worth choosing varieties suitable for dense planting, this can significantly increase the profitability of the plantation.

How to grow sturgeon on your own at home and what it will take, you can read

The production process is simple.  The earth is open and divided into high ridges, the space between them is closed with a film. Fertilizers are applied to the soil.

In one place, strawberries are grown for no more than 2 years, after which the plantation will have to be moved, and other crops should be planted on the liberated lands.

Strawberries in a greenhouse year round as a business: where to start?

Those who decide to seriously engage in the strawberry business should organize greenhouses that significantly extend the strawberry fruiting season. In greenhouses, berries can be obtained until October, in addition, they are ideal for growing seedlings..

They can be combined with open plantations, this will make it possible to increase production in the season, without spending extra money on additional greenhouses.

Strawberries in the greenhouse all year round as a business require significant investments.  The premises are built from metal frames or other suitable materials, welded racks are set along the walls.

Strawberries can be grown in soil, but Dutch hanging technology can save space and increase profits per square meter.

In this case, the pots or packages are filled with light soil mixture with a large amount of sand and peat, a strawberry bush is planted in each. Suspended technology will protect plants from pests, gray rot and other diseases characteristic of this crop.

After the construction of greenhouses, it is necessary to equip them with lights, organize an irrigation and ventilation system. Self-pollinating repairing varieties are suitable for growing in a greenhouse; classics can be grown in open ground. For successful growth, nitrogen fertilizers are introduced into the soil, which can be alternated with organic matter.

Having indicated agricultural production as the main activity, you will receive significant tax benefits and the opportunity to obtain very beneficial loans necessary for business development.

Business plan for growing strawberries with calculations

For an example, consider the following step-by-step business plan for growing strawberries for a small strawberry greenhouse. The size of the future plantation is 120 square meters. m For its equipment you will need:

• metal profile;
• film for greenhouses;
• tubes and containers for mounting a drip irrigation system;
• incandescent lamps;
• containers for planting plants;
• planting material.

The equipment of the greenhouse will cost 50,000 - 60,000 rubles.  It is worth considering that the usable area occupied by shelving will be about 80 square meters. m

Monthly maintenance of the greenhouse (watering, heating, lighting, fertilizers) - 15,000 - 17,000 rubles. With work on the plantation, 1 person will completely cope. Most often, the owner of a business is engaged in the maintenance of one small greenhouse.

Productivity from 1 sq. m - 4.5 kg of berries per month. With 80 sq. m of usable area per month, you can get 360 kg of berries. With an average price of 600 rubles per kilogram, profit will amount to 216,000 rubles per month.

The greenhouse will fully pay for itself in the third month of operation and will achieve a stable profit.

How to sell strawberry products?

The main problem of the strawberry business is the sale of finished products.  Grown strawberries should be sold as soon as possible, delicate berries quickly lose their attractive appearance. Most often, novice entrepreneurs sell crops in the market. If you have all the necessary certificates, you can rent a place or get your own permanent counter.

Another option is to hand over products for sale to existing sellers.  The advantage will be time saving, the minus is the need to share profits with the seller. In addition, upon delivery for sale, unsold products will be returned to you, and it will be impossible to sell them.

It is possible to sell berries through stationary stores. They are ready to consume large volumes of products, but a low purchase price greatly reduces the company's profitability.

A much more profitable project is the sale of crops to restaurateurs. By concluding or, you will provide yourself with permanent sales channels. The correct sorting of products is very important.

The food service needs berries of different varieties, from small and fragrant, going to mousses, creams and sauces, to large and dense, suitable for decorating desserts and topping. Do not limit yourself to the restaurants of your locality; with good demand, you can organize product delivery to neighboring cities.

A promising option is the organization of processing our own products.  You can freeze the berry and sell it year-round under your own brand, cook jam, jams, marmalades, and pastille.

Finished products can be handed over to stores, sold in the market or at specialized fairs. Many entrepreneurs sell home-made products through social networks and their own online stores.

How to open an online store from scratch for free and what documents are required for this, you can find out

As an additional business, you can sell seedlings of your own production. Strawberries are one of the most popular and favorite berries. The grown bushes of promising varieties are in constant demand among summer residents and gardeners.

Growing strawberries as a business is best to start with a small greenhouse or open beds. After making sure that the investments and expenses correspond to the business plan, you can think about expanding and processing production. At this stage, you will need hired personnel who will not burden the enterprise budget, but contribute to its prosperity and profitability.

You can get more information about how to grow strawberries in various ways for sale in the following video instruction:

Strawberry Business  - A great idea for entrepreneurs who want to try their hand in the field of agriculture. For work, you will not need large investments, and already the first profit will allow you to recoup the initial costs. But in order not to fail, you need to learn about all the features of running such a business even before you start your own business. We will talk about important nuances in the article.

Entrepreneurs often wonder if strawberry cultivation is beneficial. Any business with the right approach allows you to get high profits. Regular strawberry cultivation is a seasonal business. However, more significant profits can be obtained from the winter sale of fresh produce. But the arrangement of beds and greenhouses in this case will require more serious costs.

High competition is observed in the summer, because all farms are engaged in growing strawberries in this period of time. From May to June, the price of goods is greatly reduced, although demand is growing. In winter, the only competitors are producers of frozen berries. But people are very pleased to buy freshly grown, juicy and fresh strawberries. Therefore, it is worthwhile to grow berries not only in the warm season.

Growing strawberries as a business is also relevant because of the ever-growing demand for these products. Statistics confirm this trend - the level of consumption increases annually by 1/3. But in order for the business to turn out to be truly profitable, it is necessary to clearly understand where to start a business in growing strawberries, what are the pros and cons of this form of entrepreneurship.

If an entrepreneur decides to open a business for growing strawberries from scratch, he needs to take into account the benefits and possible threats. Year-round cultivation of berries is possible only with a greenhouse.

This format has the following advantages:

• lack of seasonality;
• almost complete independence from external conditions (humidity level, temperature, rainfall);
• quick payback (in just 1 season of fruitful work, you can return the investment and start making net profit);
• easier to establish distribution channels (especially in winter);
• the ability to significantly increase the cost of goods in the cold season;
• the profitability of growing strawberries can, with the right approach, reach 100% within a few years after starting a business.

This form of growing has its drawbacks:

• higher costs than when growing berries in the garden (cost increases about 10 times);
• the need to pollinate the culture yourself;
• less pronounced taste;
• the need for artificial lighting.

What kind of strawberry to grow?

The success of the business will depend on the correct selection of the variety. Greenhouse cultivation differs from the usual cultivation of berries on the beds. Here are some tips to help you choose the right variety:

1. the selected variety blooms several times a year (these are the so-called repairing types of strawberries);
2. ovaries and berries form all year round;
3. berries have an impressive size;
4. pronounced taste, color and smell;
5. should buy plants that were grown from mustache of 1 or 2 orders;
6. the presence of large roots and a developed outlet;
7. crop level should be high.

You can choose several varieties at once. In greenhouse conditions, the following strawberry varieties grow well: "Elsanta", "Cambridge", "Glima", "Kama", "Vigee".

The choice of form of cultivation

Initial investments will to a greater extent be expressed by the costs of building greenhouses. The following varieties are distinguished:

There is another growing format that may be of interest to beginning entrepreneurs - the Dutch method. It allows you to significantly reduce initial costs. Using this method, strawberries can be grown not only in their own area, but even at home or in the garage.

All that is needed for work is a plastic bag up to 2.5 meters long, seedlings and special tubes for watering and maintaining the desired level of humidity.

It is important not only to build a greenhouse, but also to properly grow seedlings. To begin with, they plant it in containers with peat. They must have holes for drainage. Previously, the soil must be processed and added to it:

• concentrated potassium permanganate;
• nitrogen;
• potassium;
• magnesium;
• phosphorus.

If you buy land in a store, you can simply find the soil already enriched with useful trace elements. Plant strawberries in greenhouses should be in March. And after the end of the first season, the land must be plowed - this will increase the subsequent yield.

It is important to water the seedlings correctly. You can not touch the leaves and berries, and the liquid should be poured next to the root. An automated drip irrigation system will allow watering correctly and in the required quantity.

In the winter season, the care technology changes slightly. Firstly, it is necessary to maintain the temperature in the region of 18-20 0 С. Secondly, nitrogen fertilizers are better used as top dressing. And thirdly, you will definitely need to pollinate the plants yourself.

Sales channels

The level of profit depends not only on the quantity of the crop, but also on the availability of distribution channels for the grown berries. In this case, you can work in several directions:

It is better to transport strawberries in special boxes or baskets with a capacity of 3 kilograms.

Necessary permits

The strawberry business belongs to agriculture. Entrepreneur pays USHN. Among the mandatory documentation necessary for the sale of berries to shops and enterprises include:

1. declaration of conformity with GOST (can be obtained at SES and specialized laboratories);
2. phytosanitary certificate (issued at the Rosselkhoznadzor).

Such a package of documents will simplify the search for strawberry consumers and help establish sales channels with large retail outlets.

Calculation of financial indicators

The issue of financial results is very important for any entrepreneur. But you need to accurately calculate your costs and profits yourself. When compiling a business plan, the following costs should be attributed to the number of initial costs:

• for the purchase of seedlings;
• for the purchase of soil, necessary fertilizers;
• for the installation and construction of greenhouses, heating, lighting and irrigation systems;
• for rental of premises or land;
• wages (if strawberry care will be carried out by wage workers, not the entrepreneur himself).

The cost of berries varies significantly throughout the year. This factor must be considered when calculating profitability. Its level in the winter season will be an order of magnitude higher - about 75%. For a year you can get an income of 1 million rubles or more. The Dutch method described above can bring even greater profits with a profitability of almost 100%.

To summarize

Growing strawberries is a profitable business. But it is important to deal with all the nuances of work before buying a mustache and building a greenhouse. For beginning businessmen, the Dutch method of cultivation is suitable, and more serious manufacturers may consider using polycarbonate greenhouses. But the main thing on which the level of profit will depend is responsibility, proper care and the availability of reliable sales channels for manufactured products.

At first glance, it seems that everyone loves strawberries and organizing such a business is a great idea. And this is true, because on what it is possible to build a profitable business, if not on food. But, before doing any business, you need to find out all its features - the pros, cons and known problems (as well as, of course, ways to solve them).

Perhaps it is worth starting your journey at home (for example, in bags according to the Dutch method) - and if the room is warm, then you will also receive fruits all year round. By itself, growing strawberries at home will not be a millionth business, but rather an extra income or hobby. But you can try different methods, varieties, and then go to the greenhouse.

Why do we need a strawberry business?

Usually the strawberry picking season is at the beginning of summer - the competition is strong and it is hard to enter the market. For the rest of the year, garden strawberries, if you get anywhere, are worth fabulous money.

So why not try to incorporate your entrepreneurial talent and start growing strawberries in a greenhouse all year round? This is such a high profitability! But don’t think it will be easy! Strawberry is a proud berry, and it needs a lot of attention. And for growing all year round you will need to create special conditions - but everything is possible if you pay attention to the issue (and not just read forums, blogs, social networks and watch videos about business ideas and motivation on the Internet).

Learn tips from there, but choose only useful information. But information without practice is nothing!

Advantages and disadvantages of growing in a greenhouse

If you grow strawberries in a greenhouse all year round, you can get such competitive advantages:

• year-round fruitiness of strawberries;
• high demand in off-season;
• a large number of wholesale buyers (remember, winter and supermarkets?);
• when growing on open ground, the probability of the crop rotting / drying / deteriorating is higher than in a hydroponic greenhouse.
• extremely high profitability - payback in one season.

However, there are difficulties, cons:

• the need for artificial pollination of strawberries;
• 7-8 times greater investment, compared with growing in open field not all year round.
• “Broiler” increase in daylight hours is a big expense.
• strawberries will be slightly different from those grown in the village.

Your experience in working with the land in general and berries in particular is also very important. If the experience is minimal, but you still want to do everything yourself - better look for information, watch a video on YouTube, look through our resource or any other forum - collect information. Do not step on the old rusty rake of other people's mistakes, right?

Primary costs

Buying seedlings

Strawberries belong to plants that breed "mustache" - healthy, beautiful and prolific plants from "mustaches" of the 1st and 2nd orders are suitable for seedlings. When choosing, it is worth paying attention to the development and tortuosity of the root system of the sprout. An important point is the choice of varieties (s) that you are going to grow. The best varieties are Glima, Cambridge, Elsant, Volya, Kama, Red Capulet, Vigee or something else.

Carefully study the information about these (or others that you have chosen) varieties, read forums, blogs, ask friends who grow strawberries in the country or in the village. It might even be worthwhile to conduct a little market research - to buy different varieties of strawberries and ask different people from your friends who like more - so you will get the best and adequate ratio of one variety to another for your greenhouse.

Greenhouse construction

If you are going to grow strawberries in a greenhouse all year round, which you must have seen many times in a village-village - it has a frame covered with plastic wrap - this is one of the cheapest options. Such greenhouses are scattered in abundance on land and are used not only for strawberries, but also for many other plants. However, remember that under the film a poor thermal insulator - during frosts, the crop may suffer.

There is still an option to make a glass greenhouse - this option is more expensive, but you can bring heating to it.

There are also more modern polycarbonate greenhouses - the most expensive greenhouses, but they last longer, are more reliable and have many other comparative advantages.

At the beginning of the business, you can not take into account the costs of workers - you can work independently, but correctly evaluate your own free time and qualifications.

Dutch growing method

It will help to save on growing strawberries in the off-season, i.e. in the winter. The Dutch method can be applied even at home, and it will also bring substantial income. This is a bagged method of growing strawberries. Yes, don’t laugh, it’s true - strawberries are grown “in bags” - in this situation, the bag acts as a mini-greenhouse and, as experience shows, this is an effective method.

You will need large bags that are filled with perlite and peat. In them, make holes in a checkerboard pattern - like a sheet in a cage, with a diameter of 70-80 mm. Also, an irrigation system should be provided in the bags.

For a better understanding of the system, you should watch a video on the Internet with a description of Dutch greenhouses and read the place of delayed communication on the network - a forum. On the net, a sea video about growing strawberries and strawberries in hydroponics is also a worthy option, much cheaper than growing in open ground.

However, not every strawberry variety can be grown in hydroponics - find out the features of the selected variety.

Strawberry Care

At first, your seedlings can be kept almost at home, but not on the open balcony, of course. Keep seedlings in peat ground (available at garden stores). If you take the soil in the garden or in the nearest village, you should fertilize it additionally - watch for the presence of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Your young seedlings need to be watered with clean warm water under the very root, while avoiding water drops falling on leaves and berries. Perhaps it is worth looking in the direction of drip type irrigation. Think about the temperature in your greenhouse, because it’s cold outside for strawberries. It is worth maintaining the temperature around 19 degrees.

Do not forget about lighting, pollination and regular fertilizer additives.

Product Sales Problems

In order for your business to bring maximum profit - you need to use the best practices from the network (video) and do not be shy to ask experts for advice - after all, only the wise learns from the mistakes of others, not allowing their own - do not be afraid to go to the forum and ask someone who already growing strawberries at home, whether in bags, in hydroponics, or just with your grandmother in the village - you will not lose anything, but you can save money (sometimes significant) on the mistakes of others - which will only increase the profitability of your business.

So, if we talk about marketing, then people leading blogs and forums on the strawberry business are advised to go in three different ways:

• Winter - sales through large stores.
• Summer - sale on the market (hire a distributor).
• All year round - the sale to processors of berries (strawberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc. - their interest is usually wide and constant).

The best sellers and businessmen will tell you that business security is in diversification - so try to expand your circle of customers so as not to lose income due to a contract breakdown or any other force majeure circumstances. Remember that your profit in growing strawberries all year round is flowing, because income in summer will be less than in winter, this is normal. Competition is your engine in winter, but also your brake in summer - after all, strawberries are grown in every village (sometimes even in a greenhouse, but rarely enough).

Profitability + Video

Profitability is a general economic term that characterizes the relationship between profit and cost (production costs) of a product. The essence of the profitability of growing strawberries in a greenhouse (in hydroponics, soil or "bags" - it does not matter) is working all year round.

If we take into account all prices, including the purchase of seedlings in the nearest village, where the best (well, or almost the best) prices, rent, costs for workers, taxes, fertilizers and services - the average cost per 1 kg was 150 cents in 2012 (now somewhere twice as much). If grown in hydroponics - the costs are less than if grown in open ground. Accordingly, if grown in bags according to the Dutch method, the costs are less than in hydroponics and open land.

Take into account all the costs when you consider profitability, be sure to consider the calculation error - suddenly you didn’t take into account something, suddenly everything goes a little differently.

A huge part of the population loves fragrant, sweet strawberries. In the summer, everyone wants to eat plenty of this berry for the whole year. Therefore, the strawberry business can become quite a profitable enterprise. But before you start growing berries on a large plot, you should weigh the pros and cons, take into account all the difficulties and problems that may arise during this event. The material in this article talks about all aspects of the business related to the cultivation of "nutmeg strawberries."

Everyone likes strawberries, but as a rule, in sufficient quantities, it happens only at the beginning of the summer season - May, June. The competition among various farms and summer residents during this period is especially fierce. At the end of the season, the berry simply disappears from the shelves, and nowhere else is it. In winter, supermarkets have frozen strawberries, but they are far from being as good as fresh. This suggests that a practical and resourceful entrepreneur can build a greenhouse, grow fruitful, commercial varieties and make year-round profits.

In addition, according to statistics, in the Russian Federation, the consumption of aromatic berries increases annually by 30-50%. This suggests that the strawberry business in the future will be a successful investment of cash.

You need to know that strawberries are a rather whimsical and capricious plant, but if the right care is taken for it, the crop gives a good harvest. Growing this berry is quite an interesting business, not involving large investments. Naturally, you can only make good profits by growing strawberries.

Advantages and disadvantages of growing strawberries in a greenhouse

To grow strawberries in a greenhouse is more convenient than growing berries on an open ground. The positive aspects of greenhouse strawberry cultivation are as follows:

• year-round, continuous breeding of berries;
• crop protection from adverse weather conditions (yield loss on open ground is about 30%);
• less land required;
• self-sufficiency of funds spent takes one season;
• more chance of acceptance for sale by supermarkets;
• in winter, the demand for strawberries increases, this makes it possible to significantly increase the price;
•   business on strawberries can reach up to 100%;

At the same time, there are a number of disadvantages of the greenhouse method of growing berries:

• in the amount of initial costs significantly exceed the spent funds for growing on open ground ($ 120 thousand against $ 15 thousand per 1 ha);
• the plant will need to be pollinated artificially;
• in taste, the berry from the greenhouse is much inferior to the berry grown on the open ground;
• there is a need to increase daylight hours artificially.

What you need to know before starting an activity

Before you start doing strawberry business, you need to make a business plan for growing strawberries, one of the points of which will be the acquisition of plants. Strawberry is a perennial crop propagating by a "mustache". For business, you should buy strong, hardy plants obtained from primary and secondary "whiskers". It is most effective to grow varieties with a sufficiently developed rosette and a good strong root system. You should also pay attention to the percentage of yield of the variety.

Preferred are the varieties:

• Elsanta;
• Will;
• Kama;
• Cambridge;
• Red Capulet;
• Glima
• Vizhe and others.

In addition, you need to purchase a room in which strawberries will grow. The following types of greenhouses exist:

• the design is covered with a film;
• glass structure;
• polycarbonate structure.

Breeding strawberries in a greenhouse covered with a film is the cheapest, therefore acceptable for most novice businessmen. However, the film is not able to protect plants from frost, and therefore it is dangerous to use this type of room.

For the construction of a glass greenhouse, it is necessary to establish a foundation, the room is quite voluminous, but at the same time it is transparent and suitable for installing heating.

Installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse will require significant costs, but in this case the foundation is not needed, and the service life of such structures is quite long. If you plan to do business thoroughly, it is better to choose a polycarbonate greenhouse. In addition, at the initial stage of the business there is no need to attract additional workers, the work is quite feasible.

As mentioned earlier, cultivating a crop in winter requires a decent initial investment. There is an opportunity to save money by applying the “Dutch” methodology. This method is suitable for small areas (garage, room in the apartment and others).

The meaning of the "Dutch" method is to use a special plastic bag, 2 - 2.5 m long, which is filled with peat and perlite. In this bag you need to cut holes in a staggered way measuring 7-8 cm, into which to plant seedlings. It is necessary to hold pipes for irrigation. Filled containers can be determined at any place - a barn, a garage, a balcony and others, while taking into account their quantity per 1 m2 - 3 bags. Artificial lighting is also an important point to keep in mind.

How to care for strawberries

First of all, it is necessary to plant the seedlings in peat bags with drainage holes. Soil is purchased in a specialized store, and it can also be typed in the garden. First, the soil must be moistened with a solution of manganese of a strong concentration. If the soil is brought from the garden, it needs to be fed with fertilizer, which contains nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus. In the last days of March, strawberries are ready for transplanting into the ground. In order to increase the level of productivity at the end of one season, the land should be plowed again. It is also necessary to irrigate seedlings without fail. Watering is carried out purely to the root as needed, while the leaves and berries should remain dry. In this regard, the drip irrigation system works great.

In winter, strawberries must be protected from frost. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a suitable temperature regime for the culture, best in the range of 18-20 degrees. In addition, strawberries need fertilizing with fertilizers containing nitrogen, and it is also necessary to pollinate plants artificially.

Difficulties in implementation

In the development and prosperity of the strawberry business, it is important to collect berries in a high-quality manner. This must be done very carefully, do not pour strawberries, do not move in order to avoid damage to the fruit. It is best to collect strawberries in those boxes in which the berry will be delivered to the place of sale. The most suitable packaging is a basket, as well as a plastic box with a capacity of 1 to 3 kg. Depending on the season, there are other ways of implementation. Life experience suggests that in the summer it is most profitable to sell strawberries on the market. In winter, the bulk of the goods, about 80%, goes to sales in supermarkets. In such circumstances, it is necessary to control the quality of strawberries, as shops in this regard are very demanding.

One of the ways to sell strawberries is to sell to those involved in the processing of berries for juices, preserves, add to yoghurts and more. About 30% of the total mass of products is sold through this channel.

Strawberry Business Profitability Level

The profitability indicator shows how well the product pays off, this is the ratio to the cost of production. The profitability of strawberry production is determined by the cost of berries or, in other words, the sum of all funds spent on its cultivation.

The cost includes expenses for seedlings, fertilizers, rent for the premises, the payment of wages to workers and others. The use of the Dutch method significantly reduces costs. Single entrepreneurs may not need to attract additional labor; in this regard, labor costs are significantly reduced. On average, in 2012, the prime cost indicator was at the level of $ 1.5 per 1 kg.

In the off season, it is difficult for the consumer to find strawberries, and the businessman has the opportunity to establish any margin on his product. This indicates a chance to get easy income. Thus, an average of 1 kg of berries was sold at a cost of $ 6. Today's techniques make it possible to achieve yields in the range of 40-50 tons. At the same time, net income is $ 225 thousand, and the profitability of the enterprise is quite decent - 75%.

Strawberry Growing Difficulties

The berry growing business has its difficulties.

1. It is necessary to pay attention to the issue of heating in the winter. Insufficient heating or lack of it makes the idea of \u200b\u200bselling berries in winter impossible.
2. Plants need continuous, regular care. Not everyone can do plant care all year round, which consists of various types of work. This situation requires the attraction of additional labor.
3. Growing berries in a greenhouse is quite a costly process in terms of finances. But, at the same time, the payback period is short - only one season.

Strawberry production as a commercial activity

Growing berries is an expensive and time-consuming process, but a serious and correct attitude to business quickly brings income. If you decide to do this type of business, you need to ask and consult knowledgeable people (summer residents, farmers) about cultivating crops in the winter, revisit the above material, study other sources on this topic. It must be remembered that strawberries are in demand in any season, in the summer and in the winter. This suggests that this product will always be bought, therefore, make a profit.