Berry producers from both sides of the Nistru River came together at the second agro-gastronomic “Summer Berry Fair” that was held in the square of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Chisinau on July 2. The first edition of the fair was dedicated to strawberries, while this year’s edition to blackberries, raspberry and currants. The visitors could taste delicious deserts prepared from seasonal fruits, IPN reports.

The berries were sold in plastic containers with the name of the producer on them. In such containers, the locally grown berries are also on sale at national supermarkets. At the same time, the farmers had personalized stands showing where the berries were brought from. The most skilled patisserie cooks of the Festival “Sweeter” came with mousses, tarts, smoothies and other deserts made with berries.

Those who love berries formed lines at the stalls to buy all kinds of berries. Producers said cultivating berries is hard work, but this work is worth the effort.

The representative of the blackberry producer “Yummy Blackberries” Corina Grosu said such kinds of events are more than welcome for national producers. First of all, these promote their own brand and sell their products. “Moreover, I would note the biggest advantage of the interaction. At this festival, we not only exchanged ideas with other producers, but also analyzed the market prices, the position of each trader and consumer preferences. We thus thank the team “KLumea” for organizing the given festival and welcome sincerely such events,” stated Corina Grosu.

The organizers of the event aim to transform Moldova’s berries into a country brand so that the buyers later choose locally grown and ecological products.

According to statistics, about 3,000 ha of land were cultivated with berries in 2015. 83% of the berry harvest was sold on the home market, while the rest was exported.