Polish Fruit Popular Abroad

Transcription

1 10 Polska... tastes good! Polish Fruit Popular Abroad Polish fruit has won over customers around the world, who appreciate its unique taste and aroma qualities resulting from traditional cultivation techniques and the sparing use of pesticides. P oland is a leading European producer and exporter of fruit, apples being the bestseller among Polish fruit exports. Poland also exports a lot of blueberries, raspberries and chokeberries, also known as aronia berries. These are both tasty and healthy. And fresh fruit straight from the tree or bush have highest nutritional value. Poland is the largest producer of raspberries in the EU and the second largest producer in the world. Raspberries are a rich source of vitamin C and fiber and also contain calcium, iron, vitamin E, folic acid and salicylic acid. Raspberries help cleanse the body of toxins and combat indigestion and diarrhea, while drinking raspberry juice can relieve coughing when you have a cold. The most popular raspberry varieties grown in Poland are called Polana, Polka, Koral and Benefis. According to the Agricultural Market Agency (ARR), in recent years Polish exports of fresh raspberries have ranged between 16,000 and 32,000 metric tons a year. Exports of frozen

2 Polska... tastes good! 11 raspberries have been even higher than that and the majority are exported to Germany. Few know that Poland is the world s largest producer of chokeberries, accounting for almost 90 percent of this fruit grown commercially around the world. According to the Agricultural Market Agency, between 2004 and 2013 chokeberry fields in Poland increased from a total of 5,000 hectares to 8,000 hectares in size and the yield from 38,000 to 58,000 metric tons. The growing popularity of chokeberries is a result of increased demand for chokeberry products, especially juice. Scientists say that few other fruits have so many therapeutic properties as the chokeberry. To begin with, chokeberries are known to effectively reduce hypertension by removing cholesterol deposits from veins. Chokeberries also have strong antioxidant properties thanks to the content of plant pigments called anthocyanins, which help slow down the aging process and are valuable for people undergoing chemotherapy as well as those suffering from cardiovascular problems. Chokeberries, both fresh and processed, strengthen blood vessels and help prevent the development of varicose and spider veins. They reduce liver and pancreatic problems, assuage the side effects of cancer drugs, help remove toxins from the body and relieve nervous tension. Chokeberries contain a lot of carbohydrates, organic acids and microelements and are a valuable source of vitamins A, C, E, PP and vitamins of the B group. Poland s top fruit exports also include the blueberry, of which Poland is the largest producer in the EU, accounting for more than 20 percent of European yield. Globally, Poland is the third-largest producer after the United States and Canada, accounting for 3 percent of blueberries harvested around the world. Originally from North America, blueberries are usually eaten raw with different desserts. The fruit is tasty, nutritious and healthy with a high content of mineral salts, pectins and vitamins. Blueberries also owe their health properties to anthocyanins, which effectively neutralize free radicals. American researchers have found that blueberry juice strengthens brain function, and that it can improve the memory and eyesight. Polish blueberry production averages 15,000 metric tons a year, most of which goes to export. A large part of the exports go to Britain, which is Europe s largest market for blueberries. Poland also sells blueberries to Scandinavia and Germany and recently, Polish blueberry producers have been exploring new markets in Western Europe as well as in Asia and Northern Africa. A.R./MRiRW

3 12 Polska... tastes good! Rural Tourism in Âwi tokrzyskie Mountains The Âwi tokrzyskie Mountains in central Poland rank among the country s most scenic regions. Their mix of natural beauty and rich cultural heritage favors different kinds of tourism, including rural tourism. L ocated in Âwi tokrzyskie (literally Holy Cross ) province, the mountains are one of the oldest ranges in Europe. They are covered with fir and beech forests at higher altitudes, while pines and mixed pine and oak forests prevail in lower parts. The peaks of ysa Góra and ysica (at 612 meters above sea level, the range s highest peak) are examples of a rare rock landform known as stone run and feature treeless slopes covered with rocks, boulders and stones. The Âwi tokrzyskie region is home to nine scenic parks, 62 nature reserves and a number of protected areas with native flora and fauna. The Raj (Paradise) Cave, one of the region s most famous sites, is lined with stunning stalactites, stalagmites and so-called cave pearls. Popular attractions in the Âwi tokrzyski National Park include the Nature Museum on ysa Góra mountain, a 12th-century Benedictine monastery and other historic places of worship. The town of Ch ciny boasts the remains of a castle that was once used as a royal residence as well as a stronghold and prison. Meanwhile, the town of J drzejów has Europe s secondlargest clock museum and the oldest Cistercian monastery in Poland. Tourists interested in the region s folk traditions and customs should visit the Ethnography Park in the village of Tokarnia. Nature, history and tradition As far as rural tourism is concerned, the main selling points of the Âwi tokrzyskie region are its distinctive natural beauty, areas offering peace and quiet in addition to a variety of ways in which tourists can learn about local traditions cultivated by farmers. Many of the region s most valuable historic sites are located in rural areas and the countryside has a vibrant cultural life. The picturesque landscapes are in a sense a reward for local farmers for having to cope with soils whose quality is lower than in the rest of Poland. Land cultivation as the sole means of making a living has been steadily declining and small, unprofitable farms are searching for new sources of income. Rural tourism is one of the most important ones and has, in fact, been a major success in the Âwi tokrzyskie Mountains and surrounding areas. Vacationing opportunities are available at over 400 farms and the number continues to grow. Greatest hits Âwi tokrzyskie province is home to a number of highly recommended rural tourism farms with inventive products and activities for guests. The best such products have been put on the The Raj (Paradise) Cave Ostoja Dworska farm

4 Polska... tastes good! 13 Greatest Hits of Rural Tourism league table compiled by the Polish Tourism Development Agency. One of the most inventive tourism products is the Polish Countryside Gallery at the Ostoja Dworska farm. A perfect place from which to embark on a motorcycle, bicycle or hiking expedition to the Âwi tokrzyskie Mountains, the farm offers its guests live demonstrations of folk culture, customs and rural traditions. Ostoja Dworska is located where the administrators of the historical Ma ogoszcz county once used to have their residence. The oldest historical record of the place dates back to The farm preserves local tree-growing traditions and folk crafts such as weaving and sewing. Artists and rural art lovers can get together at the Szko a Wra liwoêci ( Sensitivity School ) arts center in the village of Kapkazy, which is also home to a theater. Nearby are several other rural tourism farms. Along with accommodation, the center offers visitors a pottery gallery and a theater where theatrical productions, concerts and art exhibitions take place. The center also organizes pottery classes, theater workshops, art presentations and outdoor painting sessions. Rural tourism highlights in the Âwi tokrzyskie region continue with the Zbrodzice Vineyard near the health resort of Busko- Zdrój. This is the largest Polish producer of wine made from grapes, selling its products under the Herbowe label. Between May and October, the vineyard rents suites to guests who can taste wine from selected vintages. Near the town of Ch ciny is the Gród (Stronghold) farm whose owners help tourists explore local history. The main draw of the site are faithfully recreated medieval buildings, including a smithy with a large collection of old weapons and traditional weapon-making tools on display. There are rooms for guests and facilities to hold feasts and celebrations inside a wooden castle with a tower. Further attractions include a fish pond, barbecue and campfire sites, sculptures and faithful replicas of old cannons. Traditional cuisine and dishes For centuries, the Âwi tokrzyskie region thrived on dishes made from potatoes, different kinds of flour and a variety of groats. Dairy products, fruit and vegetables were also popular, whereas meat was eaten far less frequently. Probably the most distinctive Âwi tokrzyskie dish is the zalewajka Êwi tokrzyska soup, a variation of the popular ur sour soup with diced potatoes, smoked bacon or sausage and diced onions. It is often served with sour cream and pork scratchings. Consumers from Poland and abroad have grown to like many other traditional dishes from Âwi tokrzyskie province. The Agriculture Ministry s list of traditional and regional products features 58 specialties from the region and several of those are also protected under EU law. Products with the EU s Protected Geographical Indication label include beans grown near the village of Nowy Korczyn in the Ponidzie area. Growing beans has been popular in Ponidzie for centuries, but the most famous local variety, pi kny jaê, was not developed until several decades ago. It owes its distinctive features to the local microclimate, thriving on fertile soils flooded by the Nida River every year. The variety gives a high yield with large beans that are particularly rich in protein. An EU certificate has also been granted to dried plums from Szyd ów. Originally smoked on filbert sticks over campfires, the plums have since the 1950s been processed in special drying sheds where far more fruit can be dried at a time. The smoking method, however, remains unchanged. Wood for the smoking process comes from broadleaf trees, which gives the plums their distinctive smoky-sweet flavor. Swojska wàchocka sausage Several traditional meat products from Âwi tokrzyskie province come from the town of Wàchock. The town s history has close ties to the Cistercian order which was founded in the area in Recipes have been handed down for generations and the most famous cold meats include the wàchocka bia a white sausage variety, the swojska wàchocka sausage, traditional smoked sirloin, and the local variety of ham. Traditional Âwi tokrzyskie foods also include the chleb wiejski konecki farmhouse bread from town of Koƒskie. The bread is baked in the traditional way, in special brick ovens fired with hardwood. As a result, this bread variety is rather hard to get, but a favorite among connoisseurs. A.R. Chleb wiejski konecki bread Dried plums from Szyd ów

5 14 Polska... tastes good! Regional and Traditional Products Kashubian Strawberries The Kashubian strawberry (truskawka kaszubska) became the first Polish fruit variety to be granted protection under EU law in November 2009, when it was officially listed as having protected geographical indication status. T aking its name from the berry varieties classified as extra and Kashubia region, the Kashubian category 1, and intended for direct strawberry is grown in the northern Pomerania province in the counties Sengana variety intended for process- consumption, as well as to the Senga of Kartuzy, KoÊcierzyna and Bytów. ing. Such strawberries can come in different shapes, including spherical, con- The name can only be used with reference to the Elsanta and Honeoye strawical and kidney-shaped, and when cut in two, they are heart-shaped (vertical section) and round (horizontal section). Strawberries from the first harvest are large and medium-sized. Covered by silky and very fine skin with prominent pips, the fruit is uniformly dark red and a little shiny on the outside and deep red inside. The strawberries are firm, if not a bit hard, and juicy. Sweet and aromatic, the Kashubian strawberry contains more sugar than strawberries grown in other parts of Poland. It owes this quality to the distinctive microclimate of the Kashubian Lake District. A little harsh, the local weather causes the plant to blossom relatively late and leads to a shorter vegetation period. The lake district was formed by receding glaciers, resulting in numerous ponds and ribbon lakes that make it easy to irrigate strawberry fields. The terrain is slightly hilly, ensuring good exposure to sunlight, which causes the strawberries to ripen early. Soils in the area are somewhat acidic and of rather poor quality, which discourages other crops. As a result, the Kashubia region is particularly strawberry-friendly. Strawberries have played a big role in the local economy and are grown on 1,500 farms in the region. It is unclear how and why strawberries were first brought to Kashubia, but they have been grown there since the early 20th century. For the next half century the total area of strawberry fields increased by the year and eventually they became a fixture of the local landscape. Since 1971, an annual strawberry harvest festival has been held on the first Sunday in July on the Z ota Góra hill near the village of Brodnica Górna. A.R. The Polska... tastes good! special section is published by WV Marketing sp. z o. o. in association with Warsaw Voice SA in a project co-financed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Address: 30 Wspólna St., Warsaw

6 Polska... tastes good! 15 We Need to Improve Our Sales Skills By Marek Sawicki, PhD Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development W ork continues on measures I mentioned in my previous column. Training is constantly being provided to farmers from different regions of Poland. I am particularly happy to see much interest in the mechanisms introduced by the Rural Development Program and the EU s new direct payments system. When I meet with farmers, I make sure to tell them that it is up to us with the effective use of all available funds to ensure that agriculture develops further. I tell farmers that Poland has not been struck by any disaster, we do not need to rebuild and we are constantly growing. Over the past 11 years, Poland has increased its food production by 40 percent and turned from the net importer of food it was in 2004 into a major exporter that ships a third of its agricultural production abroad. All these facts speak for themselves, but we must not rest on our laurels. The global market presents us with opportunities, but also poses threats. For example, Polish pork is sold on foreign markets at average European prices, but things are worse when it comes to Polish dairy products and poultry meat. Even though Poland is Europe s largest producer of poultry, we sell it 40 percent cheaper on average than others. As for the dairy sector, we sell our products around 30 percent cheaper, especially in north Africa. We know how to produce good food, the best food in the world. We now have to learn how to sell it well. We produce food of top quality and we cannot afford to sell it cheaply, which I realized during my recent visit to China. This is a market that has around 300 million consumers on average incomes, by Chinese standards, who can afford to buy quality food. Such new, large markets need suitably large supplies of products, which means that both vertical and horizontal consolidation is necessary. We can do this. We have channeled support available under the new EU budget to medium-sized farms, but there are also subsidies for producer groups, organizations and associations. A producer group can be awarded up to zl.3 million and an association up to 15 million. Importantly, such funds can be spent on food processing and on shares in already operating businesses. I believe farmers should co-own such businesses and have a say in their policies. This is how you strengthen your market position and get better prices. In the meantime, I have been in talks with representatives of individual sectors, aiming to work out the best ways to strengthen exports of Polish agricultural and food products, especially to non-eu markets. I believe Poland can still achieve a lot in this department. Like I said earlier, we produce food of top quality, but we still need to learn how to sell it well. Moving on to a topic that appears to be different, but is, in fact, related, there are challenges presented by water management in agriculture. We tend to forget that agriculture is the most weather-dependent sector of the economy. We are only reminded of this when extreme weather strikes, which is why I appreciate the importance of the academic conference that the Institute of Technology and Life Sciences in Falenty, south of Warsaw, held in mid-june. Climate change is a global problem and every day farmers around the world have been struggling to irrigate their fields. This is also true of Poland, unfortunately. Polish farmers, especially those in northern Kujawy-Pomerania province, are starting to report that drought is hitting their fields. We should consider what we can do to rationally manage the water we have. I believe that instead of large projects, we should focus on small irrigation and water retention projects. Funds for these are available under the EU s Rural Development Program and regional operational programs. The funds need to be combined. We need to devise a program to ensure rational water utilization in Poland. The program does not need cover the whole country for now, but should focus on regions where droughts are a recurring problem. The program has to focus on investment in small irrigation and water retention projects. In 2011, funds assigned for the maintenance of irrigation equipment in the government s special budget reserve were radically increased to zl.210 million. Part of that, including zl.6 million in 2011 and an annual amount of zl.16 million from 2012 to 2014, went to water engineering companies so they could maintain irrigation equipment. The 2015 budget also earmarks zl.210 million in reserve funds for this purpose, the same amount as from 2011 to That amount includes zl.16 million for water engineering companies. The total amount requested by province governors was zl.368 million, but like in previous years, it was not possible to meet all the needs. While making efforts to ensure that agriculture develops, we must not forget to improve the irrigation of soils. This work has to be done systematically. We all need to be aware that our crops depend on appropriate maintenance of small irrigation and water retention facilities and equipment. Turbulent weather is becoming increasingly common. While this is something we cannot change, we can prepare for these changes rationally and at least alleviate the effects.