Business plan for growing strawberries all year round. Strawberry growing technology

• September 22, 2018
• Business plans
• Ksenia Stepanishcheva

Strawberries are a tasty and healthy berry that many people love. Therefore, the business of growing it will be attractive to those who love and know how to work on the land. Then the berries will be on the table all year round, and you will also be able to earn good money. The article talks about growing strawberries all year round.

Advantages

Growing strawberries as a business has the following advantages:

1. Small initial investment.
2. You can carry out cultivation at any time.
3. High income level in winter.
4. Short payback.
5. Harvesting is easy.

But business risks should also be taken into account:

1. The appearance of plant diseases and harmful insects is likely.
2. If not properly cared for, the plant will wither and rot.

Therefore, in order to prevent losses, it is important to familiarize yourself with all the nuances of the business of growing strawberries all year round. There are several methods for growing berries (open ground, indoor, protected). Each method has its pros and cons.

Summary

1. To invest in this business, taking into account that you will already have a premises, you will need 10,000 (equipment) + 4,000 (seedlings) + 2,000 (fertilizers) = 16,000 rubles per 10 square meters. Subsequent harvests will cost you 8,000 rubles since the equipment has already been purchased. Also add here the electricity bill of 600 rubles per month.
2. As for the payback stage, after the first harvest, you will be able to recoup all the investments spent.
3. Your average monthly profit in the summer will be about 15,000 rubles, and in the winter about 200,000 rubles.

Closed ground

Growing strawberries all year round can be done at home, indoors. This does not require a lot of space or investment. This can be done in a small area: on a balcony, loggia, or garage. The Dutch technology for growing strawberries is excellent. With this method, a plastic bag is filled with perlite and peat. Then holes are made for the seedlings, irrigation pipes are installed and an artificial lighting system is set up. For 1 sq. m fits 3 bags.

At first, watering can be done independently, manually. Then the installation of a drip system is allowed. You also need to pollinate the berries - strawberries cannot pollinate themselves at home. To do this, use a brush made of natural bristles. If the plantation is large, then a home fan is used.

Since the plant requires air circulation, the room must be well ventilated. To do this you need to open the window. Plants need light, so it is advisable to choose the sunny side for seedlings. Home cultivation is ideal for beginner businessmen. In this case, it is more convenient to develop a business by growing seedlings than by growing fruits.

Protected ground

Growing strawberries in a greenhouse allows you to get berries all year round. This requires spending on the installation of a greenhouse structure, equipment for irrigation and heating, and lighting the room at night. Growing strawberries in a greenhouse requires more expenses compared to open ground. But income will also be higher.

Ripening in a greenhouse occurs faster than in open ground. This is ensured by optimal conditions. If proper care is taken, the berries will be both beautiful and healthy. If there is heating in the greenhouse, the plant is planted in the soil. You can also plant it in small containers - blocks or boxes filled with a mixture of coconut shavings and peat. Growing strawberries indoors all year round provides a stable and high income.

Selection of planting material

When choosing seedlings, it is important to take into account that the maximum and best yield comes from bushes grown from first- or second-order tendrils. Such berries completely retain the properties and qualities of the mother plant. You need to carefully examine the rosette of leaves - it should be strong, green, without signs of damage or disease. The root system must be well developed and strong. The following strawberry varieties consistently show maximum yield: Kama; Elsanta; Red Capulet; Will; Glima; Vizhe.

It is necessary to take care of the room where you plan to grow berries and its equipment. There are three types of greenhouses: frame (used for growing seedlings), glass and polycarbonate.

Types of greenhouses for growing strawberries

The best option for industrially growing strawberries is polycarbonate greenhouses.

Polycarbonate greenhouses are also used for growing onions and roses. Read in more detail →"Business in growing onions: business plan", →"Business plan for growing roses".

Hydroponics

It is possible to grow strawberries all year round in hydroponics. From Greek this word is translated as “working solution.” The basis is growing plants not on the ground, but using an artificial substrate. It will only serve as a support for plants and roots. Such substrates have:

• high ability to absorb moisture;
• air penetration ability;
• porosity.

This method of cultivation requires abundant and frequent watering using a special solution. The advantages of hydroponics include:

1. Adjustment of plant nutrition. Strawberries will be completely controlled compared to conventional land planting. In this case, you can monitor the amount of nutritional components that enter the root.
2. Saving water. The berry transpires all the consumed liquid. It cannot disappear with watering or evaporation.
3. Saving nutritional components. This increases overall profitability, since fertilizers do not disappear into the ground without leaving a trace.
4. Possibility not to use herbicides. In this case, weeds do not appear. Therefore, hydroponics allows you to grow pure food.
5. Plant viability.
6. Increased productivity.

But growing berries this way requires careful preparation. Mistakes can lead to negative consequences. It is important to observe the temperature regime.

Features of care

To grow garden strawberries in a greenhouse, it is necessary to create a certain microclimate. So the main recommendations include:

• The lighting level at the bed level should not be less than 6000 lux. But the recommended one is in the range of 12000-20000 lux.
• Seedlings are planted at a temperature of 12-14 degrees, during the flowering period they increase to 18-20. And during fruiting, the thermometer readings should not fall below 22-24 degrees.
• In the first week, daily watering at the root is necessary. Then the number of waterings is reduced to 2 times a week. Every 10 days, Fitosporin is added to the water to prevent certain diseases.
• Even self-pollinating varieties need wind, which is absent in greenhouse conditions. Therefore, every day, using a soft brush, you should transfer pollen to other flowers.
• The soil around the bush is periodically loosened to increase oxygen access to the roots.

It is imperative to carry out regular feeding. Since over time the soil is depleted and even remontant varieties cannot produce the desired amount of harvest.

Greenhouse

Polycarbonate greenhouses are often used for growing strawberries. The material is an organic compound (plastic) that is used to create panels with a honeycomb structure. Polycarbonate is often used in the countryside, since sunlight penetrates well through it. In order for plants to grow well, a special coating is applied to one side, which is necessary to cut off the ultraviolet range of light.

The material is easy to process, as it can be easily cut with a jigsaw or reinforced scissors. It is also easy to drill, easy to glue and weld. The material is also flexible and lightweight. Polycarbonate greenhouses have the following advantages:

• good illumination;
• resistance to mechanical damage;
• service life can be up to 20 years with careful use;
• immunity of the product to water and high humidity.

The design looks presentable. But if the structure catches fire, the polycarbonate melts and gives off an unpleasant odor. Compared to using film, you will need to spend more money.

Search for clients, advertising

Having decided to start growing strawberries, every business entity should think about selling it. Since regular harvesting of a large harvest will be planned, it is necessary to form a customer base. The focus should be on large retail chains that are able to immediately purchase wholesale quantities of goods. An entrepreneur can also organize his own point of sale of strawberries at the local market. He can carry out the sale himself, or hire a seller for these purposes.

We should not forget about wholesalers who can help out an entrepreneur in a difficult situation. Despite the fact that they buy goods at reduced prices, if the harvest suddenly begins to disappear due to regular customers refusing their orders, then sales through wholesalers can at least somehow save the situation. The collected berries can be handed over to companies that specialize in their processing and production of yoghurts, juices, etc. Such enterprises always need high-quality raw materials, so constant cooperation can be carried out with them. Small batches of strawberries can be sold to catering establishments that, in addition to main courses and snacks, serve fruits and desserts to their customers.

As for the advertising campaign, a business entity can use the following tools:

• Create your own official website, which will constantly post interesting information about different varieties of strawberries. The Internet is unlikely to be suitable for selling berries, but with its help you can organize the sale of seedlings, fertilizers and other specialized products.
• You can advertise in the media, as well as in specialized magazines intended for small, large and medium-sized businesses.
• You can order business cards, advertising leaflets and distribute them to all stores located in the locality.

Expenses

In a business plan for growing strawberries all year round, it is necessary to include costs. Costs depend on the growing method. You will need to buy equipment (containers, shelving), planting material, soil, lighting systems.

If the cultivation takes place in a greenhouse, then it will be necessary to build a room, provide lighting and water supply to it. For open ground, as for a greenhouse, you need to buy planting material, means for treating the soil against harmful insects, and fertilizers.

According to the calculations of experienced entrepreneurs, growing berries in open ground will require an initial investment of 660 thousand rubles. And if you build a greenhouse, then from 1.65 million rubles.

How to grow strawberries. Planting methods and stages of development

In the second half of February, strawberry bushes are planted in containers filled with a mixture of peat and perlite. You can also use special primer, which is sold in a specialty store. If you have the opportunity to collect soil in the garden, treat it with a solution of potassium permanganate and be sure to use fertilizer containing nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. A month later, in the second half of March, the strengthened seedlings are transplanted into a greenhouse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N80Mu7geE4c

Strawberry yield largely depends on several factors.

• Compliance with the watering regime - water should be poured strictly at the root, avoid getting on the leaves and especially flowers and fruits. The frequency of watering is determined as the soil dries. The optimal method of watering strawberries is a drip system .
• Protection from frost - a comfortable temperature for plants is from +18 to +20 degrees.
• Artificial pollination.
• Fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

Early varieties

To have strawberries all year round, you need to choose varieties with different ripening periods. This will prevent “downtime” during harvesting. Early varieties in demand:

1. Olivia is a winter-hardy variety that can withstand the Russian climate. This berry has a beautiful presentation - the strawberries are large, regular in shape, and can easily be transported.
2. Alba is the best variety for industry. The plant is resistant to diseases, tolerates transportation well and has a long shelf life.
3. Clery is an excellent choice for business. This variety is preserved during transportation and produces a lot of planting material. The appearance of the berry is bright and attractive.

These varieties require special care. Regular watering is required with water no colder than 25 degrees. The beds are also mulched with compost and the plants are ventilated in sunny weather.

Average ripening period

There will be strawberries all year round if you choose varieties such as:

1. Marmalada is a high-yielding variety. The berries are conical and shiny.
2. Arosa is an excellent choice for growing. The result is a bright orange strawberry, slightly flattened in shape.
3. Asia - berries have a lot of sugar, so they are tasty. Strawberries are resistant to frost, disease, and long-term storage. This is the best variety for industry.

Medium-ripening varieties require proper control of temperature conditions. Drip irrigation is also required.

Late varieties

To ensure the cultivation of strawberries all year round at home, it is necessary to choose late varieties. The best of them is Malvina. The berries are sweet and have a delicate aroma. The variety is resistant to natural conditions, but is susceptible to insect damage.

Strawberries are growing, so for quality ventilation, light and ripening of the berries, it is advisable to thin out the leaves during fruiting. The variety requires nitrogen fertilizers, but fertilizing is applied sparingly.

The best varieties

A feature of remontant varieties is their ability to bear fruit 3 times during the growing season. The best options for business are:

1. Monterey - it is advisable to grow berries of this variety in a greenhouse. The strawberries turn out juicy.
2. Portola is a new variety that is considered an improvement on Albion. The berries have a mild taste. The variety is high-yielding.
3. San Andreas - has similar characteristics to the Albion variety, but the berries are larger. Strawberries are weather and disease resistant.

Care consists of abundant watering, loosening the soil, and treatment against pests and diseases. You also need to feed the soil and weed it. In some varieties the whiskers must be removed.

Equipment

It is necessary to choose the right equipment to grow strawberries all year round. What exactly to buy depends on the growing method. If a greenhouse is not created, then gardening tools are needed - shovels, hoes, rakes. You also need a brush cutter, a refrigerator, pipes, taps, hoses for watering, as well as containers for collecting berries.

If a greenhouse is being built, in addition to the specified tools, you will need a ventilation system, electric heaters, lighting devices and an electric generator. It is also necessary to determine how the optimal level of air temperature will be maintained.

Hiring workers to organize cultivation

An equally important stage that influences whether the income from this type of activity will be good is the recruitment of personnel. The number of workers required to work on the plantation depends on the planned production volumes and the chosen growing technology. For example, if hydroponics is used, the number of personnel will be minimal, since most processes are automated. In general, you will need to hire personnel for the following positions:

• Accountant;
• Manager (if the entrepreneur does not have experience in this field);
• General workers who will plant plants, care for and process them, harvest, pack and load berries.

Optional equipment

The business plan may include a section on the costs of purchasing additional equipment. Whatever the production volume, appropriate business organization requires the purchase of packaging equipment and refrigeration units.

Thanks to modern packaging machines, berries can be placed in special plastic containers coated with cling film. For variety, other types of packaging can be used. For example, in winter, strawberries are often bought as a gift. Therefore, plastic containers are placed in gift baskets. This simple method will help increase the competitiveness of the product.

The buyer cares about the presentation of the product. Therefore, the business plan must indicate the use of refrigeration equipment. It will help cool the products, increasing the shelf life to 10 days.

Strawberry growing business: creating a sales network

Methods for selling strawberries depend on the season of the year. In summer, it is faster to sell the harvest to the retail market and wholesale suppliers. In winter, you can turn to supermarkets and restaurants, as they have refrigeration equipment for storage. Supermarkets and restaurants place increased demands on the quality of products. Maximum preservation of appearance is achieved when transported in baskets or plastic boxes. Processing enterprises (purchasing more than 30% of the total harvest), focused on the production of jams and yoghurts, accept products year-round . Creating a sales network is one of the key factors for business success.

Even before the strawberries are ripe, it is necessary to conclude contracts or agreements on future deliveries!

Documentation

To open a business, permission from the SES and fire inspection is required. It is also necessary to conclude an agreement with the owner of the land, suppliers of seedlings and other contractors. An employment contract is drawn up with each farm employee, taking into account the interests of both parties.

It is also necessary to choose a tax regime. This is determined by the organizational and legal form of the economy. For example, the simplified tax system is suitable for an individual entrepreneur or LLC. Farms pay a single agricultural tax. Business does not require special permits or licenses.

Which form of business should you choose?

The table below provides an analysis of the various forms of running a greenhouse business.

If you have no entrepreneurial experience, it is recommended to register your business as a private household plot and start selling in small quantities; this will allow you to set up all production and business processes and determine the main sales channels. When increasing production volumes, attracting additional financing (agricultural loans), or organizing your own point of sale, registration as an individual entrepreneur is required.

The optimal tax system for producers of agricultural products is the Unified Agricultural Tax (USAT).

Tax rate — 6%

The Unified Agricultural Tax is abolished when the share of agricultural production is less than 70% and the OSNO (general taxation system) is applied to the manufacturer.

Video lesson “Unified Agricultural Tax”

Sales

The best ways to market products are:

1. Home delivery of strawberries is a great way for a big city.
2. Sales through a supermarket.
3. Delivery of berries for processing.
4. Sales through our own retail outlets: at the market, in the store, in shopping centers. This method is ideal for selling strawberries in large quantities.

For each sales method, documentation must be completed. If you find reliable ways, there will be constant and high profits.

Possible risks and nuances

When organizing any type of business, an entrepreneur must take into account the risks that are possible in this activity in order to avoid them:

• The danger of non-compliance with cultivation conditions. Sometimes only a few hours are enough for a possible harvest to be hopelessly ruined. The maintained parameters in the greenhouse should be constantly monitored;
• Lack of a sales market. The study of consumers must be carried out at the stage of planning cultivation;
• Presence of competition. This point is present in any business, and the weaknesses of similar companies should be identified in advance in order to stand out from them.

So, summarizing the information reflected, we can say that growing strawberries can be an excellent investment option in the Russian Federation. The success of such a business will depend on careful study of all aspects of culture cultivation to create the most favorable conditions. At the same time, one should not forget about the preliminary establishment of a market for the sale of products, since finding a consumer in conditions of fairly fierce competition is not so easy.

Profitability

To calculate the profitability of a business, you need to calculate expenses: from purchasing materials to delivering products to customers. It is important to consider energy and heating costs. You should also determine the expected profit.

One sq. m of seedlings can produce 4.5 kg of fruit per month - this figure should be taken into account when calculating monthly income. If the plantation has 50 sq. m, then it will produce 225 kg of berries. Depending on the season, the price of berries varies. The average cost is 400-500 rubles per 1 kg. Therefore, the income will be 90-112.5 thousand rubles per month.

It turns out that the liquidity of this business is several months. Many amateur gardeners have become businessmen, because by selling berries or seedlings you can open a profitable business. The products will be in demand all year round, so the business will actively develop.

Organizational structure

At the initial stage, to maintain the strawberry beds, you will need two or three auxiliary workers, as well as two security guards (if you rented a plot for a greenhouse complex and did not build it in your yard).

Personnel cost table:

As production volumes increase, the staff will expand. You will need a driver to deliver products to the place of sale, general workers, and an accountant. Hire an outsourcing specialist to reduce the cost of paying an in-house accountant.

At the initial stage, engage in production yourself. Many entrepreneurs who choose to produce herbs, mushrooms or other crops at home work themselves together with family members. This way you will save on personnel, try out production technologies, and get a feel for the specifics of the industry.