design 2 : berry polyculture ESTIMATED RETAIL CROP VALUE (EUROS) 100000 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000 0 year 1 year 2 MARKET & SALES POTENTIAL Common products One of the values of this particular polyculture design is that most soſt fruit berries have very high retail prices, ranging from 12 - 18 euros per kilogram. Though yields in the first year are low, they quickly rise and are maintained for a period of over a decade. Specialty products As with the tree polyculture, some of the products produced here will also require special approaches to marketing. Gooseberries, and particularly lignonberries, are more unusual fruit crops that may require thought through sales strategies. Likewise, the more unusual mushroom varieties in this system will also require special marketing approaches. year 3 year 4 ESTIMATED COSTS As with the tree polyculture, most of the capital costs for this horticultural system are in the site establishment: the cost of young plants, the installation of an irrigation system, initial soil preparation, the installation of trellises where needed (for raspberries), and other initial investments. Based on a per plant cost of 2 - 3 euros and the recommended planting densities here, the initial cost for the berry plants will amount to between 37.000 and 56.000 euros. Land preparation, trellis construction, and planting will take an estimated 450 hours per hectare, with an additional 100 hours of labor for the planting of annual and companion crops. Annual operational labor includes an estimated 20 hours per hectare of weeding and pest control, and an estimated 2.000 hours per hectare for harvesting in the initial two years, rising to approximately 8.000 hours of harvest labor at peak production in years five and onwards. Post-harvest cleanup and pruning will require an additional estimated 250 hours per hectare. Once again, these costs are estimates derived from data based on monoculture systems and these assumptions need to be tested in practice. Energy costs, insurance, office costs, and additional material inputs such as nutrients are also not included here. Based on the labor and plant costs alone (assuming labor is charged at 15 euros per hour), the cost of establishing this system come out to an estimated 50 - 60 thousand euros. Annual operational labor thereaſter is estimated at 9.000 hours per hectare, or 135.000 euros. The cost of marketing and sales, when taken to be 30% of the overall retail value of the crop, could potentially reach 165.000 euros per year. Because the system requires chilling and dormancy in the winter, no additional heating or lighting is required, saving on these costs over a standard operation. ESTIMATED PROFITABILITY In the first year of the berry polyculture, some of the costs of establishing the system can be offset by sales of beans, herbs, winter squash, and mushrooms, which have yields from year one. However, as shown in the graph on the leſt, annual revenues quickly rise as berries begin producing in the second year. One risk factor for achieving this upper range of profitability is the perishability of some of these soſt fruits, in particular raspberries and currants. Sales channels need to be secured well in advance of harvest. Processing options (such as juices or jams) are one means of avoiding total crop losses. By year four, the estimated retail values of the crops produced reach approximately 560.000 euros. As with the tree polyculture, if this system is established in an existing greenhouse not in need of particular maintenance, and assuming a high rate of successful sales at near-retail prices, the berry polyculture as described here should produce a return on investment within the first two years. However, many standard costs are not accounted for here because they vary so greatly between operations, so these figures would need adjusting based on individual farm conditions. Pagina 46
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