Contract growing and experimental work
Apetit is firmly rooted in Finnish primary production. Apetit’s approximately 140 contract growers cultivate over 30 million kilos of domestic vegetables for Apetit’s Säkylä frozen foods plant. Apetit is Finland’s largest procurer of contract-grown field vegetables.
Apetit has developed the Responsible Farming method through long-term cooperation with its contract farmers
Responsible Farming method:
- general principles of cultivation, quality and product safety and environmental management
- crop-specific cultivation guidelines and principles
- plant protection measures only for identified needs
- documentation of cultivation measures in the ViRe cultivation system
- traceability of vegetables on a batch-by-batch basis to the field
- documentation: cultivation history for varieties, preceding crops and crop rotation, measures taken and soil information, as well as the results of previous harvests to assist in the development of cultivation methods
- continuous development work at Apetit’s Räpi experimental farm in terms of both methods and varieties
Continuous development work
At Räpi experimental farm in Köyliö, Säkylä, long-term research and development work has been carried out to develop Finnish open-field vegetable cultivation for 70 years.
The results and experiences gained from the fields of Apetit’s contract growers are also actively utilized to develop the Responsible Farming method. With our own experimental activities, we are looking for the best, tasty varieties suitable for Finnish open-field farming, with properties suitable for frozen production.
Räpi experimental farm is involved in research cooperation, which investigates means for improving natural soil fertility. The improvement of natural soil fertility promotes soil health and makes sustainable cultivation methods possible. It is hoped that information yielded by studies will help find practical means not only to improve soil fertility but also to mitigate nutrient runoffs into waterways and to promote carbon farming.
