Serbia has become global leader in the production, processing and export of raspberries, according to the country’s Economy Minister, Željko Sertić.
Speaking at the opening the Tenth World Conference of the International Raspberry Organisation (IRO) in Šabac, Sertić said that Serbian producers produced about 110,000 tons of raspberries in 2015 and that exports of the fruit were worth US$ 280 million (€300 million).
Serbia currently accounts for one quarter of global raspberry production, totaling 420,000 tonnes.
Sertić also announced that the Serbian government will support producers through development programs and policies, and that emphasis should be placed on processing facilities, in order to export finished goods. He also said that there are also plans to start raspberry exports to the UK, US and Russian markets.
Last year, Serbia exported 454,444 tonnes of various fruits, or 16 per cent more than in 2014, generating an estimated US$ 583.4 million in revenue. Most of it was generated from raspberry exports, mainly to Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden and Austria.
However, it’s not all good news for Serbia, as freak weather in mid-May destroyed an estimated destroyed 10-30 per cent of the country’s raspberry plantations.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
