The Sliven region is traditionally known as the Peach Valley. Very soon, however, he is about to add another moniker – the Asparagus Valley. Why? Because there is the largest plantation of asparagus in our country.
The first to see potential in the climate and soils in the area of the Sliven village of Bliznets is an Italian company. 3 years ago, she planted 150 decares with the exotic vegetable. Part of the plantings were imported directly as ready-made seedlings from Botusha, and another part were brought as seeds.
By coincidence, however, in the autumn of last year, the Italians ceased their activities in Bulgaria and the producer Kiril Peychev decided to embark on a new adventure, purchasing the garden. To his delight, one of the previous co-owners, an agronomist from Italy, decided to stay in our country. In this way, he contributes his experience and knowledge directly from the source, as his homeland is a traditional producer and exporter of asparagus.
“It’s helpful for us to have such a person to be able to master the way we grow, sort and store asparagus. In Bulgaria, 99% of production is imported. Therefore, our goal is to deliver fresh product to Bulgarian consumers”, Peychev tells Agri.BG.
Interestingly, Bulgaria has a tradition of growing asparagus before 1945 and was among the leading exporters. Time will tell if this native production can be revived in such a way as to satisfy the Bulgarian demand. Moreover, there is already a culture of consumption.
Although asparagus only bears fruit for 2 months of the year, this is not a problem for Peychev. He is a first generation farmer, starting with peach orchards on the land of Chervenakovo and Bliznets villages.
“We have seasonal workers during the peach picking campaign, which starts in July. As asparagus fruits from mid-April to mid-June, we practically extend the season of employment of the workers”, says the producer.
At the moment, the fields are occupied only with green asparagus, and white and violet are also available on the market. In the future, the farm plans to acquire violets through seeds from Italy. Efforts are currently focused on automating irrigation and feeding, as is already the case in peach orchards. The system is a Bulgarian startup and the real result is already visible.
“We use water from “Irrigation Systems” and it is important for us to water only when there is a need, not on a schedule. This system saves us nearly 30% of the water we used before. Soil moisture sensors are located in the field. The process of fertilizing is also made easier, as everything is managed via the phone. In addition to funds, we also save two people, who previously were only involved in watering during the season. Now they are free to do the rest of the work in the farm”, Peychev compares.
His other plans include Global GAP plantation and production certification to expand market opportunities. Currently, the producer from Sliven sells to traders with whom he has long-standing relationships. He is about to build a cold store with a sorting room.
“We need to show people that this product is already produced in Bulgaria and can reach their table the very next day after it is plucked. From there, we have a lot to work on in terms of marketing and advertising, so that we can reach potential customers and partners”, says Peychev.
He will soon be visiting a similar farm in Italy, where pickers harvest with battery-powered carts. Surely they would make things easier in his field as well. His idea is to see useful practices at work that he can apply in our country as well. /Text and photos: Agri.BG/
