Economic Profitability of Growing Blueberry Bushes

Abstract

Borovnica je voćna vrsta, popularna radi svoje nutritivne vrijednosti, ali u uzgoju još uvijek nedovoljno zastupljena. Plod borovnice sadrži više od 80% vode, ostalo su šećeri, vitamin C i minerali. Koristi se kao svježe voće, a mogu biti prerađene u džemove i sokove. Uzgajivači prije sadnje trebaju znati kako borovnica uspjeva na kiselim tlima, zemljištima izloženim suncu, te obavezan sustav navodnjavanja, za dobro uspjevanje. Vlasnik OPG-a Sremić odlučio je podignuti nasad američkih borovnica, te je u početku krenuo s malom količinom od sto sadnica da procjeni može li ih uzgojiti. Prikazani su početni troškovi i izračunati financijski pokazatelji poslovanja. Nasad je u prvoj godini prošao veoma dobro, sa samo 6% gubitka. Povrat uloženih sredstava se očekuje u trećoj godini, a isplativost projekta je vidljiva u odnosu prihoda i troškova, gdje su prihodi osam puta veći od troškova. IRR, pokazatelj isplativosti projekta iznosi 148%. Zaključak je da se postepenim ulaganjem u projekt može ostvariti pozitivan rezultat.Blueberry is a berry popular for its nutritive value, however, it is not planted widely. Blueberry contains more than 80 percent water, the rest being sugars, vitamin C and minerals. It is consumed fresh or processed as jams or juices. Before planting blueberry bushes, it is necessary to become familiar with how the blueberry grows in acidic soil and on locations with a lot of sunlight. Furthermore, becoming familiar with watering requirements is essential for the successful growing of blueberries. The owner of the Sremić Family Farm has decided to plant American blueberries and has started with 100 plants in order to test whether it will be possible to grow blueberry bushes successfully. This paper presents initial costs and calculates financial indicators of the project. The results of the first year are satisfactory indicating the loss of only 6 percent. Return on invested funds is expected in the third year. Profitability of the project is illustrated by comparing revenues and expenditures, where the revenues are eight times higher than the expenditures. The internal rate of return (IRR – project profitability indicator) equals 148 percent. In the conclusion of the paper, it is shown that a positive result can be achieved by investing in the project gradually