Kamchatka berries are known mostly by people in the industry and finding them at Polish town squares is still quite rare. It is not as sweet as blueberries, but the Kamchatka could likely become a new Polish export hit, informs "Puls Biznesu".
Poland's global berry harvest amounts to about 500-600 thousand tonnes per year. The country is a world power in the production of strawberries, currants, raspberries or gooseberries.
However, the situation in recent years has become difficult for currant producers, who have been gradually switching their interest to the new hit: Kamchatka berries, mostly due to the high prices paid for it.
"The frozen Kamchatka berries are shipped to Japan," says Tomasz Michalski, owner of Gospodarstwa Ogrodniczego Haskap (Horticulture Farm Haskap). His farm has been operating since 1970 and three years ago it converted its currant crops into Kamchatka plantations.
He affirms that there is a consensus amongst growers about it being a good business opportunity. To illustrate this, he explains that "1 kilo of black currant is sold for 0.30 to 0.50 zloty (0.07 to 0.11 Euro), while 1 kilo of Kamchatsky berries is sold for 10-16 zloty (2.3 to 3.6 Euro).
Kamchatka berries are a rich source of organic acids, pectin and vitamin C (25-130 mg/100 g). They have plenty of biologically active substances (anthocyanins and flavonoids) and have antioxidant properties. They also facilitate the removal of toxins and heavy metals from the body, thereby reducing the risk of developing cancer.
