Growing goji berries is an attractive option for anyone who wants to engage in agriculture and organic production. Goji berries, popular in the world of healthy eating due to their antioxidant properties, are increasingly finding their place on the European market. Since 2013, the Jovanović family from the vicinity of Niš has been successfully growing different types of goji berries, including red (Goji berry Ningxia No1) and black goji, as well as other varieties in different colors, such as yellow, orange and purple.
The idea for growing goji berries came when Ljuba Jovanović, the head of the family, fell ill with a serious illness and started using this fruit as a dietary supplement due to its healing properties. Originally intended for personal use, growing goji berries soon turned into a business venture. Their property has become a certified plantation with different varieties of goji berries. According to Nemanja Jovanović, graduate agronomist, the investment in this plant can pay off already in the first year.
Opa, goji? Doji, doji…
The basic costs for starting a ten-acre plantation, including a thousand seedlings and the necessary equipment, amount to about 45,000 euros. Namely, the price of a thousand seedlings is about 25,000 euros, while the costs for irrigation systems, poles, wires, greenhouse, nylon and nets amount to an additional 20,000 euros. Jovanović advises that the works related to the formation of the plantation and planting are carried out under their own direction with professional education, in order to reduce the total costs.
The expected earnings from growing goji berries can be very profitable. In the first year, during the first picking, it is possible to get 0.3 kg of fruit per seedling, which with the purchase price of 50 euros per kilogram brings an income of 15,000 euros. In the second harvest of the same year, the yield can reach up to one kilogram per plant, bringing an additional 50,000 euros. In the second year, the average yield increases to three kilograms per plant, which can provide an income of 150,000 euros. By the third year, growers can expect a yield of five kilograms per plant, which corresponds to an income of 250,000 euros.
Goji berries ripen quickly. This pace of ripening allows for multiple pickings throughout the year, usually from late July to late October, depending on weather conditions. Production organized in this way means that the plantation begins to bring income already in the first year of planting. At the same time, investments are returned in the second year at the latest. This efficiency makes goji berries an attractive choice for those looking for a lucrative business in the organic farming sector. At the same time, cultivation provides users with a healthy product with numerous health benefits.
Source: Courier
Source: boljazemlja.com
