Lviv Farm Begins Exporting Sea Buckthorn to the EU

The farm “Romalin”, located in the Drohobych district of Lviv region, plans to export sea buckthorn of its own harvest to European Union countries. Previously, farmers who have been growing this berry for many years supplied their products only to the domestic market.

This is reported by AgroReview

The farmers have completed a series of negotiations with representatives from the processing industry in Germany and Poland, who have shown interest in Ukrainian berry products. Currently, the farmers have 30 hectares where 11 varieties of sea buckthorn are grown. Some of them have already started to propagate independently by growing seedlings, and in the future, they plan to officially register several new varieties derived from wild species.

“In the past, we tested many varieties of sea buckthorn, and some of them were very well received. We achieved good results in our conditions by growing the Latvian-bred varieties ‘Maria Bruvele’, ‘Eva’, and ‘Tatyana’. The variety ‘Leikora’ has also proven itself well,” said the director of the farm “Romalin”, Roman Tanchuk.

The farmers believe that it makes sense to grow sea buckthorn for export, as the main markets are France, Germany, Canada, Sweden, and Italy. In Germany, in particular, juice, liqueur, and jelly made from sea buckthorn are popular.

According to analysts, in 2023, the global sea buckthorn market is valued at 786.2 million USD, and with forecasts extending to 2031, it could grow to 1.67 billion USD, with an annual growth rate of over 10%. This growth will be driven by increasing demand for natural and functional products, as well as a rise in the use of sea buckthorn in various industries, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage production.