First blueberry packing center in Serbia opens in Grocka – Hladnjace Brestovik announces innovations in fruit and vegetable trade

The first blueberry packing center in Serbia has recently opened in the premises of Hladnjace Brestovik in the Belgrade Municipality of Grocka. The entire line has been imported from a Dutch partner. The team of employees has been trained to pack all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables, in addition to blueberries, as per agreement with the purchaser which thereby creates added value to its products.

The seat of the Fruit Growing Cooperative Borovnica is also located here, and, according to Marko Nedeljkovic, spokesperson of Hladnjace Brestovik, the company offers planting material, peat, anti-hail and irrigation systems, professional consultation regarding feeding and protection of plants and other services to potential producers.

In his interview for eKapija, he reminds that the Memorandum of Cooperation with the biggest producer of blueberry seedlings in the EU – Gospodarstwo Ogrodnicze, owned by Tadeusz Kusibab of Poland, was also signed at the opening ceremony, making Hladnjace Brestovik the official representative for the market of Serbia.

Storage capacity 1,400 tons

Hladnjace Brestovik was founded in January 2017. With 1,400 tons of storage capacity, they are a modern fresh and frozen fruit and vegetable distribution center, spreading across 1,550 square meters. They purchase and store blueberries, as well as apples, pears, cherries, sour cherries, plums, apricots, peaches and they also provide fruit and vegetable packing and distribution services.

– The construction of cold storage facilities took 210 days. We’ve installed the latest German equipment, enabling us to compete with foreign companies. Also, we own a rolling stock currently containing two reefer-trucks – Marko Nedeljkovic says and adds that they used banking loans for construction and equipment, but that they also expect certain state subsidies.

The company currently has nine employees and cooperates with fruit and vegetable producers, from which it buys products, as well as with foreign partners. Furthermore, they’ve signed agreements on supplying with all local retail chains. According to our interviewee, the main goal of Hladnjace Brestovik is to develop agrarian activities in the Grocka area and Serbia on the whole with the help of professionals and ties with renowned global companies.

– The experience our farmers have results in high quality fruits and vegetables, which are able to meet the demands of even the most discerning consumers – Nedeljkovic emphasizes and says that their base of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables is one of the biggest ones is Serbia, coming from locations recognized as being of top quality.

Strategic cooperation with the Rakovic family

Hladnjace Brestovik are cooperating with the Rakovic family and their farm, which the company has recognized as a strategic partner in raising plantations and founding the company. The head of the family is Dobrica Rakovic, winner of the award for the greatest achievements in agriculture in 2015 and a member of the third generation of agricultural producers. His son Dejan has become the director of Hladnjace Brestovik.

(Blueberry plantations) – The family of Dobrica Rakovic owns a total of 35 hectares under fruit, of which the most frequent one is highbush blueberry, taking up 8 hectares and featuring more than 20,000 seedlings. As one of the founders of the Fruit Growing Cooperative Borovnica, the Rakovic family can be considered pioneers of organized blueberry growing int Serbia. There are also plantations of apples, apricots, peaches, cherries, sour cherries, taking up 27 hectares – Marko Nedeljkovic explains and notes that the tradition of growing fruit in the family dates back to the 1960s and that it has been brought up to date through modern achievements.

Our interviewee also points out that the Rakovic family is always ready to meet all agriculturists, as well as people looking to become agriculturists, halfway.

Marko Nedeljkovic says that the competition in the Serbian market is very strong, but that they expect to achieve success, primarily thanks to the remarkable technology they possess.

– We are also waiting for the right moment to implement certain innovations in fruit and vegetable product trade.

Nedeljkovic says that Hladnjace Brestovik is especially proud if its cooperation with numerous professionals, professors from the Faculties of Agriculture in Belgrade and Novi Sad, as well as the Fruit Research Institute of Cacak.

– Experimental fields of the Faculty of Agriculture in Zemun take up parts of our plantations, and the results we get from Dr Jasminka Milivojevic are invaluable, both for the science and the practice.

Our interviewee announces that Hladnjace Brestovik is planning to continue buying out fruits and vegetables in the coming period and to create a base of strategic partners.

Marko Andrejic

Hladnjače Brestovik d.o.o. Beograd

Poljoprivredni fakultet Beograd

Institut za voćarstvo Čačak

Hladnjace Brestovik

Fruit Growing Cooperative Borovnica

blueberry packing center

Marko Nedeljkovic

blueberies

Gospodarstwo Ogrodnicze

Tadeusz Kusibab

distribution center

apples

pears

cherries

sour cherries

plums

apricots

peaches

fruit and vegatable packing

fruit and vegetable distribution

fruit and vegetable buyout

subsidies

loans

Rakovic farm

Dobrica Rakovic

Dejan Rakovic

Jasminka Milivojevic