A new quick-freezing facility for berries has opened in the village of Ozhenyn, Rivne region, western Ukraine. The mini plant was built on the grounds of a former fruit canning factory that had been abandoned for years. 
The project was developed as part of the Swiss-Ukrainian initiative, Organic Trade for Development.
According to the head of the Rivne Regional State Administration, the facility is expected to process 140 tonnes of organic berries per year.
The plant is focused on berries grown under high ecological standards and is part of a long-term plan to expand production to over 1,000 tonnes annually. 15 hectares of berry fields, including strawberries, raspberries, and currants, have already been planted.
Swiss Ambassador to Ukraine Felix Baumann attended the opening. He noted that Switzerland has supported organic production in Ukraine for over 20 years and stressed the importance of understanding local needs to provide effective assistance.
This is the first public-private partnership in Ukraine's agricultural sector under a Swiss development program. The project aims not only to boost production but also to support local employment, improve value-added processing, and help train new specialists.
Source: www.rv.gov.ua