A man is building an organic chips business in Lugansk region

Andriy Zhukov, a farmer from the Luhansk region, founded a unique business in his village. He makes organic chips that are actually good for you, writes “Agro-Center” with a reference to the “Business Skhid”.

The man moved to the village of Bulavinovka, located in the Novopskovsky district, with his family four years ago, in 2014. He got engaged in the production of healthy chips for personal reasons. At first, he made these chips for his children in order to reduce their consumption of harmful foods and sweets.

He also gave the chips to friends and acquaintances and received positive reviews. That’s when the man realized that his hobby can grow into a business. His first chips Andrew Andriy made from apples, plums, other fruits, and later, from vegetables.

“At first, my children were the only ones to eat the chips. Later, I began to give my healthy treats to friends and acquaintances, who liked them a lot. We realized that these chips can be sold at the market. I submitted my first application and got a grant – a small dehydrator,”

said Andriy Zhukov.

The second time the man decided to compete for the grant was when he wanted to cultivate raspberries. His idea was supported as well:

“We have unused land resources. Many people in our village give farmers their land plots for the cultivation of grains and sunflower. They take small payments and don’t make much money on this. It is better to grow produce, make something yourself, and get a product with more added value,”

said Andriy.

Nowadays, the entrepreneur is looking for ways to export his products. He is negotiating with a buyer from the Baltic States and has already sent him a batch of his chips for trial. Andriy understands that he will need to increase production volumes in order to export his chips. As an option, the man came up with a creation of cooperatives in his village. According to Andriy, there are at least four families who are ready to support his initiative and join any time.

“It is planned that each family will plant in the spring in order to grow different vegetables on their plots. It’s not just about selling tomatoes, you need to prepare them. It is another level of responsibility – to grow the produce and transform it into a beautiful and high-quality food,”

said the entrepreneur.

Andriy’s experience convinced him that it isn’t necessary to go abroad. It is possible to make good money and develop a business here in Ukraine.