Dejan Jeremić, CEO of "Delta Agrar": we will create brands that will be recognizable in markets of European Union and Russia

(Dejan Jeremić)

In addition to the announced investments in cattle breeding, fruit growing, fishery and agricultural pharmacies, company "Delta Agrar" will also be focused on the export of ready-made meat products to the regional market in the following period. Also, construction of coffee factory in the vicinity of Belgrade at the beginning of year 2009 is in the pipeline.

Dejan Jeremić, the CEO of "Delta Agrar", said in the interview for eKapija that the aim of that company was to create brands that would be recognizable in the markets of Russia and European Union, while companies "Yuhor" and "Mioni" (manufacturer of water "Aqua gala"), which operated within "Delta agrar", could become the top regional players.

- Survival in the foreign markets is not a simple task and, if you want to enter the game, you must respect 3K(Q) rule – quality, continuity and quantity. Company "Delta Agrar", which has nearly 2,000 workers, can successfully meet these demands - says Jeremić.

He points out that the turnover in 2008 will amount to 320m EUR, while the business ambitions for year 2009 exceed this year's ambitions by far, which also requests large investments.

- We have invested about 30m EUR in primary agricultural production in 2008. Nearly 20m EUR was invested in the property of Stock company "Napredak" in Stara Pazova where a pig farm was rehabilitated. That farm is now one of the top 10 farms of the kind in Europe, that is, in Denmark, which is the world leader in that field. Realization of the project for development of nucleus farm and artificial insemination center at the same property is close to end. That will provide sufficient quantities of top-quality genetic material for the needs of both our pig farms and free market, which will contribute to raising of this type of cattle breeding to a higher level. We expect that this farm will be registering maximum productivity in the future, that is, fattening capacity of 167,000 heads of cattle per year. Also, we are going to have a milking cow farm built at few tens of hectares in Pazova and we expect it to be ready in 2 years. At the same time, we are working on the adaptation of the pig farm in Zaječar - Jeremić explains.

- "Delta Agrar" exports a share of its product portfolio, such as cereals and meat, to foreign markets. After large investments in fruit growing and truck farming, it is expected that the export of these agricultural products will be significantly increased in mid-2009 - says Jeremić.

- Orchard in Čelarevu occupies the area of nearly 100 ha and we have, so far, invested over 4m EUR in its equipping with the up-to-date technology for watering, fertilization, anti-hail and anti-frost protection – says Jeremić.

Special ULO (Ultra Low Oxygen) cold storage plants will be built within the orchard in Čelarevo at the beginning of year 2009. Thanks to low concentration of oxygen, these cold storage plants guarantee additional freshness of fruit and vegetables during the whole year. According to the words of Jeremić, this investment will amount to about 2m EUR.

Complete crop farming, truck farming, fruit growing and part of cattle breeding are carried out at 5 agricultural farms within "Delta Agrar", that is, at about 18,000 ha, nearly 11,000 ha of which are owned by the company. The farms are: "Podunavlje" in Čelarevo, "Kozara" in Banatsko Veliko Selo, "Napredak" in Stara Pazova, "Jedinstvo" in Apatin and "Topola" in Kikinda.

Realization of the project for organization of the existing fish ponds at about 550 ha at property "Jedinstvo" in Apatin was started in 2007 in association with the Israeli partner.

- These are not classical fish ponds, but lakes that are currently in the phase of stabilization because we are reconstructing certain areas and we are making the structure that will enable farming of some high-quality fish species. Current production is sold in the local market and we expect to have projected production in three or four years - Jeremić explains and adds that the agriculture is all about patience and determination and, of course, long-term planning.

Israeli experts introduced a new system of fish feeding in Apatin-based property "Jedinstvo", as well as modern technologies for food preparation. According to the words of Jeremić, instead of 8 kg of corn, now only 2 kg of new food is required for the same quantity of fish. The CEO of "Delta Agrar" points out that the company plans to produce freshwater bass, which is one of the fishes farmed by the Israeli in their fish ponds.

In addition to aforementioned farms where primary agricultural production is carried out, "Delta Agrar“ also includes the following companies: "Interservis" - Novi Sad, "Agropoteka" – Belgrade, "Delta Agrar" - Laktaši in Republic of Srpska, which deals with distribution of pesticides and seeds, and "Delta Agrar" in Skopje. "Delta food proccesing", which is an integral part of "Delta Agrar", includes the following companies: "Danubius" from Novi Sad, "Yuhor" from Jagodina, "Mioni" from Mionica and "Florida bel" from Belgrade.

Jeremić points out that "Delta agrar" also deals with trade in cereals and oleaceous plants, meat and cattle, cooperation, purchase of fruit and vegetables, exchange of agricultural products, as well as with distribution of pesticides, seeds, agricultural machines, mineral fertilizers and supplementary product portfolio. Since recently, company "Delta Agrar" has started retail trade through its own network of 30 agricultural pharmacies all around the country.

In all fields of business, the partners of "Delta Agrar" are the world's leading agribusiness companies : "BASF", "Syngenta", "Bayer CropScience", "Pioneer", "Nufarm", "Summit Agro International", "DanBred", "Fendt", "Deutz-Fahr", "Amazone", "Kverneland" and many others.

T.S.