In the Odessa Oblast, French hardy kiwi was brought under cultivation

In Odessa region, an exotic berry of the genus Actinidia, called “Nergi”, and in simple language - “mini-kiwi”, has been cultivated for six years. The plant was brought to Ukraine from France. The head of the Ukrainian production Nikolay Tsantsura told about the peculiarities of growing and taking care of the crop, reported farmerscan.

A mini-kiwi garden in Belyaevsky district was planted out in 2012, and for several years, the fruits have been sold in supermarkets. According to Nikolai Tsantsura, a cut berry resembles kiwi, but it is sweeter.

“Berries grow on liana-like bushes. They look like and taste like kiwi, and the smell is like a mixture of pineapple and kiwi. It can’t be an exact description, but the fruit is pleasant and sweet. Plant spacing is 4 m, the inter-row spacing is 5 m. The total garden area is 16,45 hectares. The rate per hectare is 500 plants. Fruit picking begins in September and lasts for two weeks. The berry can be stored in a fridge for up to 3 months”, shares Nikolai Tsantsura.

The manufacturers compare taking care of plants with grapes. They report that the Nergi variety was obtained by natural fructification, so they do not contain GMOs. One can get more than 10 kg berries from a plant. Plants are divided into male and female, so during flowering bee-hives are set in the garden for a high-quality pollination.

“The care is daily, laborious. Drip irrigation, pruning, binding. Bushes are like grapes. In our zone there are neither diseases nor pests that could damage the plants. Therefore, the berries are absolutely healthy and do not need chemical treatment”, says Nikolai Tsantsura.

Berries are sold from late August to mid-November in barkets weighing 125 g at the cost of 40 UAH.

At “Agro-Sphere” exhibition in Odessa, the Company presented an experiment – five-minute jam with 10% sugar. Dessert men with pleasure tasted green jam with small bones.