ZAGREB, November 23, 2020 - The Croatian Chamber of Agriculture (HPK) on Monday called on the Croatians to buy locally grown and made products during December and thus increase local produce sales and support local farm jobs.

HPK representatives told a news conference in Zagreb that the preservation of the local agricultural production could be possible with the raised awareness of the purchase and consumption of local food and products.

"We are soon entering December, the month marked by the biggest spending, and although we are in a specific year when we are battling COVID-19, we believe that this is one more opportunity to demonstrate our agricultural patriotism," Tajana Radic of the HPK chamber said at the news conference.

She underscored that so far this year, there has been a marked increase in the purchase of produce from local family-run farms, and called for the promotion of the Croatian agricultural production, which, she said, is a way to  "help contribute to the growth of the (national) economy."

The HPK representatives said that this year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic also raised the awareness of boosting self-sufficiency in agriculture and of protecting the local production.

Croatians spent an estimated HRK 15.3 billion during the Christmas and New Year holidays in 2019, which was a half billion kuna more than in the corresponding period of 2018, Radic said.

This year, the consumption is likely to be reduced due to the corona crisis, however, this is an opportunity to focus on what we buy, Radic added.

More than a quarter of household budget goes on food

According to some estimates, Croatians spend more than 28% of their household budget on food, and similar ratio is expected during the Christmas holiday season, she noted,

"Every kuna spent on the purchase of the local products multiplies the effect on the growth and development of the Croatian agriculture and economy," she said.

During the news conference the Chamber presented the project called "Plavi Ceker" (the "Blue Grocery Bag" in an unofficial translation) launched by the City of Zagreb with the aim of  promoting high-quality agricultural produce and food made by local businesses from all parts of Croatia.

The purpose of the project is to help SMEs in marketing their products on the Zagreb market.

The Blue Grocery Bag project encompasses high-quality products made by local producers.

May 18, 2019 - "Buy Croatian" returns to Split from May 21 to 22, 2019.

Although we're aware that it is healthier and fresher to shop from our neighbor’s garden than from a factory in far-away China, many of us will often opt for a foreign, imported product thanks to better-known brand names and cheaper prices. In the end, you might be a couple kuna richer, but you'll also impoverish domestic production.

Domestic production is the foundation of the economy of each country. The money spent on domestic products remains in Croatia, thus strengthening the community. Domestic producers equally assist a grandson buying home-made sweets for his grandmother, hotel owners who serve meals made with local ingredients, or someone who chooses Croatian design as part of their own identity. A smart buyer knows that buying local is investing in the future.

Each of us can be a guardian of domestic production. That is why the Croatian Chamber of Commerce has organized the "Buy Croatian" event for 22 years as a way to make citizens aware of the importance of purchasing domestic products.

The "Buy Croatian" action began with a general view that, in the conditions of crisis and recession, it is imperative to preserve the level of domestic consumption and to maintain the economic activity of the country. 

“If spending decreases, the country will enter a negative spiral that leads into stagnation, backwardness and a series of social problems. In this context, these acknowledgments for quality have a special dimension. The global crisis will pass, but our structural problems will not be solved by anyone outside. To be able to solve problems ourselves, we must have a product. It is the product that expresses how cultural and civilized a nation is, because people are not expressed anywhere in the product.

The product, however, is not just for business, though it naturally has a commitment to being innovative and competitive. Competitive products have efficient education, healthcare, and pension funds, because all that goes into calculating the product.

Competitiveness has to come from all sectors of society. The success of a society is measured through its product, and it contains everything good or bad in that society. There is no awareness of us yet. We want to express our sincere respect to those who create a quality product under these conditions. They are the ones who give the optimism that we can, that there are people in Croatia who can create something relevant in the world. That we can create a product that has the character of Croatian quality or is an original Croatian product that can be competitive in any part of the world, assuming our society is competitive.

In the long term, we expect that Croatian products on foreign markets are recognizable by their authenticity and top quality. We desire to recognize Croatia as a quality homeland through its quality products,” reads the description of the HGK action. 

This year, “Buy Croatian” continues in Split, Varaždin, Karlovac, and Zagreb, while a special project "Buy Croatian-Croatian products for Croatian tourism" will be held at the end of the year in Istria. 

Visit the Split Riva on May 21 and 22 to check out over 100 local producers and their products. The already cheerful atmosphere will include Croatian actors Doris Pinčić Rogoznica and Darko Janeša and a vibrant entertainment program.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

Aminess Hotels & Camps has launched a project titled "Taste of Croatia", aiming to offer guests a unique gastronomic experience with exclusively domestic products from selected regional producers and family farms, which can be enjoyed at their hotels and camps, reports HRTurizam on May 11, 2019. 

The idea came from the Aminess Gourmet Lab project, led by chef David Scott, whose aim is to educate young chefs, waiters, bartenders and other members of the Aminess Gourmet team. With this concept of promoting Croatia's original products, Aminess offers its guests the best Croatian gastronomic experience possible. 

It is essentially the essence of tourism, as guests want to try something new and different; they want to taste something authentic. Croatia, with its incredible diversity and authenticity, can and must position itself in that segment. This offer also creates a healthy and sustainable system, stimulates the local economy, and is based on quality through fresh, homemade foods.

Aminess has imagined the new project so that the domestic products of OPGs will be included on the menus, and members of the Aminess gourmet team will also present the food and beverage offer to guests.

Thus, guests of Aminess hotels and camps will have the opportunity to get acquainted with Croatian gastronomy through three segments of the offer - Croatia in a bottle, Croatia on a plate and Croatia on a shelf.

'Croatia in the bottle' represents the drink offering, from indigenous wine varieties, rakija and spirits to wild and cultivated ingredients from intact nature. Next is 'Croatia on a plate', offering a taste of the regions in which the Mediterranean intertwines with the continent. Olive oil, delicious fish and shellfish, prosciutto and cheese, truffles and national specialties made from local ingredients are just some of the gastronomic delicacies on the menu. The Aminess Maravea Camping Resort also has a bakery that combines the segment of 'Croatia on a shelf'. Products such as golden grains, floral honey, marmalades of locally sourced fruit and dairy products from cows and sheep fed on nearby farms are all well rounded off with food items from local OPGs.

Currently, through the morning and evening meals at the buffet tables of the Aminess Maestral hotel, the Taste of Croatia offer includes the producers of Agro Klaster with products from Vukovar-Srijem County, Histris with homemade Istrian meat dishes without gluten, soy and lactose, fishing cooperative Istra with specialties made from freshly caught fish from the Adriatic Sea, and OPG Orbanić with a family tradition of preparing cheeses and milk delicacies made with milk from Istrian pastures.

Soon this offer will be introduced in other Aminess hotels, and in the summer months, the offer will be extended to fresh fruits and vegetables. 

A wonderful way to connect the ‘Blue and Green’ Croatia, bravo to Aminess for making the first concrete step in supporting Croatia’s local industry. 

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

You can try and buy everything from mlinci and štrukli to gemišt and rakija today and tomorrow at Jelačić Square.

The action “Buy Croatian” has kicked off on the Split Riva today!

The action “Buy Croatian” will come to the Split Riva on May 26, 2017.

In a sea of ​​Christmas stories, the new advert for the campaign to “Buy Croatian” is distinguished by its warmth, powerful production, and strong message - winning over the hearts of the nation and empowering many to shop local this holiday season.