Entrepreneur Zinaida Plămădeală from Ungheni represents the "Berries Group" Association, which brings together five strawberry producers from Ungheni. The producers manage land with an area of ​​40-50 ha in the villages of Sculeni and Petrești, Ungheni district.

Berries have always been of interest to farmers in the Ungheni region and this led to the creation of a cluster. The initiative to create a cluster of berries is determined by several regional advantages. The Ungheni region offers a stable and sustainable source of water for irrigation, and its proximity to the European Union provides access to a large market.

Thanks to the "EU4Moldova: Focal Regions" programme, financed by the European Union and implemented by UNDP and UNICEF, the potential for the creation of the berry cluster was identified. At the beginning of 2022, with the support of the programme, the members of the cluster learned more about the best practices of cooperation and business development during a study visit to Romania.

In three years of activity, the association manages 0.6 ha of greenhouse and land with an area of ​​up to 50 ha. Currently, the group has a fruitful collaboration with other projects and with experts from the berry sector.

The young team of ambitious and passionate farmers makes efforts to bring fresh and flavorful fruit to everyone's table. So far, through the results obtained, the advantages of cooperation and association are being harnessed.

In the future, the "Berries Group" Association intends to further develop this sector, by diversifying the assortment and exploiting the export potential in the European Union.

The “EU4Moldova: Focal Regions” Programme (2019-2024) supports intelligent, inclusive, and sustainable social-economic development in the regions of Cahul and Ungheni to ensure better standards of living to the citizens. The programme has a total budget of €23 million, is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).