Rudnap group and Al Dahra to cultivate 500 hectares of land together - Exports to Russia and Gulf countries

I am not selling Serbian land, but only domestic knowledge, Vojin Lazarevic, the owner of Rudnap, comments for the daily Novosti on the recently established partnership with Al Dahra that has signed an agreement to become the owner of 51-percent stake in Rudnap agrar.

Lazarevic, however, declined to reveal the value of the agreement that has made Al Dahra the majority owner of Rudnap agrar.

- I have not sold my company. This is is a joint investment with one of the global leaders in agricultural business from the United Arab Emirates. This cooperation has recently got the green light from the Commission for the Protection of Competition. Al Dahra has arrived in Serbia, and this is its first and hopefully not the only project in our country. We will together manage about 500 hectares of land that is mainly covered by orchards.

According to him, Rudnap's partners have big ambitions. Apart from selling fruits in Serbia, they will also market products around the world.

- Together we will boost apple production. Apples from Serbia will be exported not only to Russia, but also to Gulf countries. We find the Russian market very important because their annual demand for apples is about 2 million tons. So far, they have been importing only 5 percent of that amount from our country.

As Lazarevic explains, the aim of Rudnap agrar is to ensure the stability of supply as well as the safety of food.

Lazarevic claims that Al Dahra generated exports worth nearly USD 1 billion in 2013. This company owns factories on almost all continents, producing fruits, vegetables and grains even in the Emirates.