ZAGREB, 20 January 2021 - Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković said on Wednesday that serious structural and strategic matters needed to be resolved to make long-term development of mandarin production in the Neretva valley possible, adding that that won't be possible without producers amalgamating.
Minister Vučković is today staying in Dubrovnik-Neretva County. In Pojezerje and Ploče she met with local and regional government representatives, local agricultural producers, and buyers.
After the meeting, she said that there were 1,700 farms in that small area, most of which were working with mandarins, which was monoculture farming and an excellent precondition for grouping together.
"The Ministry will assign people specifically to work on the procedure of amalgamation, and representatives of local and county governments and producers should make a contribution. Amalgamation will strengthen their bargaining power and bring them closer to the market. We will also help them financially, for these organisations to be able to purchase equipment," Vučković said.
She stressed that despite the crisis and limited budget, the ministry had provided financial aid as an 'ad hoc' measure and form of support.
