(within the frame of the Grant Programme in the Organic Sector supported by Switzerland)
About the company
Inberry LLC has been working with organic berry products since 2017, growing blueberries and garden strawberries on an area of 12 hectares in Sumy region. The farm is located in a remote area, about 90 km from the city of Sumy, and supplies the markets of Sumy, Kharkiv and Poltava regions with its products.
From the very first years of its existence, the company chose the path of organic production, so it took great care in analysing and planning the land plot — they determined the soil composition, entomological composition, developed a planting plan and procedures for organic production, and developed an agro-technological system for the farm.
Previously, the products were sold directly from the field through local chains and speciality stores. However, after the full-scale invasion began, logistics became significantly more complicated: destroyed bridges increased the transport distance by almost 50 km. This increased the risk of product spoilage, so the issue of high-quality refrigeration became critical.
Access to some land plots has also become more difficult, as they are located in close proximity to the border with russia, so the company has already started looking for plots in another part of Sumy region.
Support within the Grant Program and achievements
Within the Grant Program in the Organic Sector the company received resources to modernise its organic berry cooling and packaging processes. With the support of Switzerland, Inberry purchased and installed modern refrigeration equipment, which significantly improved the quality of post-harvest processing and extended the shelf life of its products.
The grant also enabled the company to organise the packing process. Packing is important not only for the end consumer, but also allows the berries to be preserved during transportation.
Improved packaging has contributed to increased customer loyalty and expanded opportunities to enter new sales channels. The company’s financial performance confirms the positive impact of the investment. Thanks to the stable cooling and packing of products before transportation, spoilage was reduced by 14% and, as a result, sales increased by more than 20%.
Plans for the future
Construction of a refrigerator is the first stage in improving the company’s operations.
In 2026, the company plans to increase its organic plantations and expand its product range, including cultivation of organic vegetables. The company also plans to increase the area under organic berries and partially relocate to other areas further away from the border.
Accordingly, the company plans to gradually increase its cooling capacity and strengthen partnerships at the local and regional levels to expand sales.
Advice from the director
Inna Kolosok: “I recommend that organic producers document their processes according to the standards in advance, focus on post-harvest processing for better marketing, and diversify production for sustainability. This approach increases competitiveness and contributes to the organic sector development in Ukraine.”
* Grant Program in the Organic Sector is funded by Switzerland and implemented within the framework of
- the project “Women Entrepreneurship in the Organic Sector” (WEOS) implemented by ICO “Information Center “Green Dossier” in partnership with Organic Initiative Public Association, and
- the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP) implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland).