September the 27th, 2022 - The Association of Pag cheese producers are seeking VAT reductions on cheese and milk products from the government, given the fact that Croatia has placed particularly high VAT rates on cheese compared to many EU member states.

As Morski writes, in Italy, this rate stands at 4%, in France 5.5%, in Germany 7%, while in this country, VAT on cheese is a whopping 25%. That is why Pag cheese producers and small dairy farms have sent a request to the Croatian Government in which they're asking for a reduction in what they consider to be too high value-added tax rates. If that happens, the consumption of cheese would increase, and its price for the end consumer would also be lower.

Without tax relief, the business outlook for cheesemakers doesn't look great.

''The Association of Pag Cheese Producers, together with the Association of Croatian Small Dairies, has decided to initiate a request to reduce VAT on cheese and dairy products. Croatia has the highest VAT rate on cheese and dairy products of all EU member states. Just for comparison, in Slovenia, the VAT rate is 9.5%, in Italy and Spain it is 4%, in Ireland the VAT rate is 0%,'' said Martina Pernar Skunca, president of the Pag Cheese Producers Association.

''We propose a VAT rate of 0-5%, so we also accept 5% as a kind of normal VAT rate for dairy products,'' said Sime Gligora, the director of the Gligora cheese factory.

''What's illogical is that the VAT on milk is 5% and the state subsidises milk production and encourages it, while on the other hand, the VAT on cheese and dairy products is so high,'' added Pernar Skunca.

I'm tired of the barren bureaucracy, of all of these piles of paper. Most of this could be reduced, simplified, arranged to be simpler, to be easier. A big problem is created by VAT, which takes most of the income for itself. It's clear to all of us that the state also has to live on something and those institutions that are also at our service, don't get us wrong, but I think that this industry should be protected not only on the island of Pag, but across the whole of Croatia because it's now on the verge of extinction,'' said Sime Pernjak, the co-owner of a cheese factory.

This summer's drought has also left unfavourable consequences. The sheep which graze Pag did not find enough food, so the livestock had to be supplemented, and compared to last year, the costs have doubled.

''From the very start when it comes to livestock, feed prices rose. Fodder rose because artificial fertiliser rose. Fertilizer prices have risen due to energy costs. And therefore the price of milk has also shot up. So, the price of milk is 50% higher than it was last year. Energy prices went up, electricity is three times more expensive, gas is twice as expensive, and the costs of packaging, cardboard, foils all went up,'' said Gligora.

It can't get any worse, Pag cheese producers have warned, aware that they cannot replace the increase in input costs with a higher price of cheese.

''The big thing is that we buy milk with 5% VAT, and the output VAT is 25%. The maths here is crystal clear,'' said Pernjak.

''By reducing the VAT rate on cheese and dairy products, our products would be more competitive on the market, their consumption would increase, and this would be good for everyone because there would be a greater inflow into the state coffers. So we believe that in these difficult conditions on the market and in this situation when everything has become more expensive - both raw materials and energy products - that it is really necessary to reduce VAT because it is the highest in all of Europe. As for Pag cheese, it is a premium product, and the point is that dairy farmers on the island of Pag don't live only on Pag cheese. We also have goats, we buy significant quantities of cow's milk from Croatia and goat's milk which also comes from Croatia. The price of hard cheeses has increased. We've minimally increased our prices. All hard cheeses are more expensive products and you simply have to make a compromise so as not to lose customers. Up to a certain point you can suffer at the expense of your own margins, but then there comes a point where you can't do that. If the dairies aren't operating well, who will pay the farmers for milk but the dairies?'' added Pernar Skunca.

''We bring in milk from Lika, Zagorje, Slavonia, Istria...'' noted Pernjak.

''What is very important is that we're the biggest purchasers of cow's, goat's and sheep's milk and, unlike other dairies, we produce the most products that have this high VAT,'' added Pernar Skunca. That's why only with a lower VAT rate can we overcome this never-worse time for cheesemakers, they explained from the Association of Pag Cheese Producers - now they are already worried about their jobs but also the preservation of the centuries-old tradition of cheesemaking on the island, writes HRT.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

September the 12th, 2022 - Just what is it that makes Croatia so recognisable to foreign visitors? From Game of Thrones to waterfalls and Christmas events, the list is varied.

As Morski writes, the well known travel blog Travel Drafts Croatia has stated that ''Croatia is a beautiful country in the Western Balkans, which is actually a part of the former Yugoslavia... Although it is a very popular destination among newlyweds, families with children and backpack tourists, this country has recently experienced a small renaissance".

Game of Thrones

One of the most watched series ever to be produced used the Croatian city of Dubrovnik as King's Landing, the fictional capital of the seven kingdoms in the series. Because of this, among other things, word spread about how beautiful this city is. Tourists flock there to see where Cersei had her Walk of Shame, and to tour the sets of the hit series.

The blog then goes on to state that would-be visitord should know that the city is full of tourists during the hot summer months and is much easier to explore during the off-season.

Beautiful waterfalls

Krka National Park is home to the most famous waterfall in all of Croatia, known as Skradinski buk. Plitvice Lakes are also home to numerous beautiful waterfalls. Although they are not so well known individually, this is one of the ten world heritage sites located in Croatia which is under UNESCO protection and one of two natural sites under UNESCO protection.

Red tourism (so-called)

Red tourism is travel to communist, socialist or ex-communist/socialist countries, usually by people originating from non-communist/socialist countries to learn about the heritage of those forms of government. Tours of communist monuments are a great way to learn about what life was like in Yugoslavia. The blog recommends people to start with the Podgaric monument, which is one of the most striking examples of all of this form of ex-Yugoslav public art.

Even traditionally beautiful places like Dubrovnik offer opportunities for people seeking red tourism. Here, you can tour the Red History Museum, which is the first interactive museum in all of the Republic of Croatia dedicated to educating visitors about what life was like during communism.

The World Cup and football

Croatia made it all the way to the finals of the 2018 World Cup. Although they ended up losing to France, they were the pride of Europe and showed the world exactly how outstanding and passionate Croatia is when it comes to the most popular sport in the world. The blog notes that the footballing tradition in Croatia is strong, explaining how the country has actually competed in the World Cup five times as an independent nation. Croatia had its very first performance back in 1998, when it came third! Of course, before that, the Croats competed in the larger Yugoslav team.

Beautiful islands

The Greek islands may be more famous, but the Croatian Adriatic islands are just as (if not more) beautiful. From Pag to Hvar, each one is a small perfect gem located in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. One of the most popular ways to experience the Croatian islands is to go on a sailing adventure and visit the most beautiful islands in the country/ Different islands have different reputations. There are islands known for their nightlife and parties, while others are known as real family-oriented places. Others have a more romantic atmosphere.

There are over one thousand two hundred islands dotted along the Croatian mainland, and almost fifty of them are inhabited. The blog tells its readers to be sure to do their research beforehand and choose the right island (or combination of islands) to suit the type of trip they might want to take.

Ancient Roman ruins

The blog says that if its readers enjoy visiting ancient Roman ruins, then they'll absolutely love visiting Croatia. In Split, you'll very easily find the Diocletian's Palace which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Diocletian, one of the most famous Eastern Roman emperors, ruled from the year 284 to the year 305. Back during that time, his palace was built in the very heart of the City of Split (Spalato), which was his main residence. Other important historical landmarks in Split that are part of this UNESCO World Heritage List include churches from the twelfth century and palaces from the fifteenth century.

The cravat

Considered an original Croatian product, it spread throughout Europe during the seventeenth century thanks to Croatian soldiers serving in the Thirty Years' War, where it became a recognisable fashion detail. The French were among the first to adopt it, and it entered their language under the name cravate, and later also in other European languages ​​under similar names. Croatian ties, or cravats, are slightly wider than modern ties and are an extremely popular Croatian souvenir, especially in Zagreb, the country's charming capital.

Croatian honey

The Balkans is a region famous for homemade honey. While all countries in the region produce honey and claim that theirs is the best, you really don't want to miss trying it in Croatia. Or buying it as a souvenir.

Christmas markets

While many people think of Croatia as a summer destination, it is actually a fantastic place to go in the winter too! The Zagreb Christmas Market has been awarded the title of "Best European Christmas Market" for three years in a row. The people of Zagreb really turn their city into a winter wonderland, with an ice rink, amazing lights, traditional food and drink, and festive shows.

While Zagreb gets the most attention, Dubrovnik and Split also have great Christmas markets that are worth seeing, the blog adds.

Pag cheese

This hard cheese with an extremely distinctive and strong taste comes from the island of Pag and is made from sheep's milk. It is considered the most famous specialised cheese in all of Croatia, and can be found in many markets outside the country.

Lavender fields

The blog lets its readers know that the most famous lavender fields are located on the stunning Central Dalmatian island of Hvar. This island has been growing lavender for centuries, and during the months of July and August the fields become beautiful, and the air is permeated with the distinct smell of lavender.

''Croatia is an absolutely amazing country and I strongly encourage you to plan your own Croatian adventure! The top five destinations that you should not miss are Dubrovnik, Split, Plitvice Lakes, Zagreb and the island of Hvar. However, Rijeka is currently famous for its role as the European capital of culture, so you should put it on your itinerary for Croatia,'' Travel Drafts tells its readers.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

June the 5th, 2021 - When it comes to what Croatia has to offer, most people will likely immediately think of the sun, the glorious Adriatic sea, the many islands and the wine. Croatin gastronomy is certainly up there on that same list, and Croatian cheeses are becoming more and more well known internationally. Two Croatian cheeses are doing so well, in fact, that they've been ranked among the planet's very best.

Pag cheese is probably the first of the Croatian cheeses to spring to the mind of the majotiy of people remotely familiar with the country's production of this much loved food item.

The bizarre moonlike northern Adriatic island of Pag, the northern part of which belongs to Lika-Senj County and the central and southern part to Zadar County, is home to some of the most mouthwatering Croatian cheese for those who aren't lactose intolerant, of course. This island produces cheese which is then exported and taken all over the world to be enjoyed by cheese lovers, and it has firmly placed the entire country on the cheese map of the globe.

The World Food Atlas from Taste Atlas has picked up on the treasure trove which is Croatian gastronomy, more precisely on Croatian cheeses, and has declared two domestic products to be among the best the world has to offer.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, The World Food Atlas is a well-known website which is a must-browse for all food lovers or ''foodies'', and now they have published a revised ranking with the world's best cheeses.

On the list of the top 100 best rated cheeses according to the votes of the audience, there are as many as two Croatian cheeses. Skripavac took a more than respectable 61st place, and the famous, aforementioned Pag cheese has taken an extremely impressive 14th place.

If you're a cheese lover, you can view the entire list by clicking here.

For more, make sure to follow Made in Croatia.

The famous Croatian Pag cheese producers are known throughout the world, and this company from the island of Pag is turning towards cream cheese production, regardless of the current dire economic circumstances which have arisen as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

As Novac/Jozo Vrdoljak writes, the Pag cheese producers are launching a new investment cycle and, as Martina Pernar, the director of exports and marketing at the company revealed, it is preparing to produce two new products. Pag cheese producers are, as she explained, turning their attention to the globally popular cheese spreads. The company has already invested in the purchase of a new machine on which it will produce two types of spreads.

''We'll produce two types of cheese spread. One from sheep's and cow's milk, and the other will be enriched with truffles,'' said Pernar, adding that tere are few delicatessen cheese spreads already out on the market in Croatia, so they hope that these new products from the Pag cheese producers will also go well with consumers.

Solar power plant

According to her, the Pag cheese factory applied to the tender of the Ministry of Agriculture in order to provide part of the funds from Measure 4.2.1. and is now awaiting the results of the move.

''We've announced the purchase of machinery, commercial vehicles and solar power that we'll install on the roof of our production plant. We also invested in the purchase of a machine for snack packaging for cheese cubes and packages of 100 grams with three slices of cheese. In addition to the machine, we also invested in packaging,'' noted Martina Pernar.

Despite the globally difficult situation as a result of the pandemic, the Pag cheese factory didn't lay off any workers due to financial issues. Martina Pernar says that, in as much as was possible, they protected their workers and partners and implemented rigorous protection measures. So far, they have not had a single case of coronavirus. Due to lockdown and the resulting difficulties in distribution, they have increased sales through the web shop.

''We redesigned our website and this type of sales channel achieved excellent results. We've also introduced card payments, which is something we've never had so far,'' explains the director of exports and marketing, adding that they have focused their marketing on the promotion of the web shop.

''Of course, you can’t compare a web shop to chain store orders, but we got a sales channel that did well during the spring lockdown,'' she said.

''We have designed some recipes for our customers based on our products. In that part, we expect an increase for the festive period, especially in the part regarding gift packages and gift packaging,'' she added.

The new season for the Pag cheese producers starts in January 2021. According to Martina Pernar, they have high expectations in the Pag cheese factory.

''This year, at the peak of production, we were faced with the threat of the pandemic. We were afraid for the health of our workers and we also had fears about the potential stopping of production, but everything went well. We managed to pay off all our subcontractors and we're ending the year solidly. Right now comes the time when Pag's shepherds have the most work on their hands. Sheep lambing begins, followed by milking and the production of Pag cheese, which lasts from January to July. We own a herd of about 3,000 sheep, and luckily we marketed most of the lamb before the spring lockdown,” she says, adding that she hopes the situation in the period to come will begin to normalise.

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At this year's World Cheese Awards competition, Sirana Gligora (Gligora Cheese Factory), from Pag island was given a total of 8 medals!

The competition was held in Bergamo in Italy, and a record-setting 3,804 competed for the awards. In such a respectable competition, the Croatian cheesemaker was able to get 4 gold medals, 2 silvers and 2 bronze medals. Gold medals were awarded to Pag Cheese, Likotin affinated in maraska cherries, Kolan affinated in olives and Cow ashes cheese. The silvers and bronzes went to the mustard cheese, Žigljen and Liburjan cheeses.

This is the most medals won by a Croatian cheese factory at this year's WCA.

Šime Gligora, the owner of the factory, said that this serves as a confirmation of the continuing excellence of the protected cheese from Pag. Last year, at the same competition, they received a Supergold award, and this year at the Great Taste Awards in London they received the highest possible three stars.

He added that they are very happy that their affinated cheeses, such as sheep's Likotin affinated in maraska cherry keep getting the highest awards. That is also an additional incentive to continue making and improving them.

Two months ago, they affinated the cheese in maraska cherry, and currently, the process is being performed with the wine and olives. Such methods and techniques in cheese-making are quite unknown in Croatia, so awards like these help make those unique and innovative products more recognisable to the Croatian consumers. He highlighted their completely new product, cheese with mustard, which hasn't even hit the shelves in Croatian stores, which was also given a silver medal at this event.

The Gligora cheese factory wants its customers to know that they will continue making the highest-quality cheeses and that they're hoping to keep winning awards at upcoming cheese and food competitions. They've recently opened their delis in Zagreb, more specifically in the Arena and Cvjetni shopping malls, and they're currently finalising the preparations for the opening of their new "Cheese & Deli" store in the centre of Split.

June 26, 2019 - BBC Travel discovers one of the culinary secrets of one of Europe's most unusual islands - Pag. 

It is not often that Croatia is featured on the BBC homepage - unless we are talking about World Cup sporting success, of course. 

And how nice to see today's feature focusing on one of Croatia's most fascinating island's - Pag. 

Home to the strongest winds on the coast, the finest lamb in all Croatia, an olive grove with more than 1,000 trees each over a thousand years old, its own UFO landing site, the party - and salt - capital of Croatia, as well as a handful of UNESCO lace - the list goes on. 

And cheese. In the words of the late, great Anthony Bourdain - 'world-class cheese.'

Here is the opening to the BBC feature on the cheese of Pag:

The bus driver shook his head. “Zatvoren,” he said, looking at my ticket to Pag. “Closed.”The bus driver shook his head. “Zatvoren,” he said, looking at my ticket to Pag. “Closed.”

I was scheduled to travel to Pag, a barren, moonscape-like island off Croatia’s northern Dalmatian coast, but the bridge was closed. Paški most – the bridge connecting the island to the mainland – is the only point of entry by road, and the bura, a powerful north-eastern wind, thwarted my plans.

The bura (also known as bora) can reach hurricane-strength speeds; its 2004 record in the Dalmatian city of Split was 174.6km/h. Its mighty gusts define Pag and its famous cheese, Paški sir, dusting wild herb-filled pastures with Adriatic sea salt, which gives the sheep’s milk a unique flavour. Robust, salt-coated aromatic herbs – including sage, sea fennel, St John’s Wort, immortelle and thyme – are a treat for the sheep.

To read the full story, click here.

TCN did a recent tour of the two main cheese factories on the island - learn more about the island's cheese story. 

To learn more about his incredible island, check out the Total Croatia Pag in a Page guide. 

The good news has arrived early this year and this season's production of the famed and award winning Pag cheese will finally come with a protected designation of origin label which gives special importance to controlling the very production of the internationally appreciated Pag cheese.

As Morski writes on the 8th of January, 2019, the protected designation of origin label clearly defines the raw material, the description of the finished product, the geographical area of its ​​production, the proof of the origin of the Pag cheese, the process of the production correlation with the aforementioned geographical production area, and the details and the link between the geographical area of production and the quality and characteristics of the final product. Šime Gligora, director of Sirana Gligora, has welcomed this protection, according to a report from eZadar.

''From our very beginnings, our cheese factory has been producing exclusively from the milk of Pag sheep from the island of Pag, while the production of our other cheeses, cows, goats, sheep and mixed cheeses are made exclusively with milk from Croatia, largely from the area of ​​Northern Dalmatia,'' stated a satisfied Gligora.

Pag cheese is exclusively a sheep's milk product originating from island of Pag, its limited production is defined entirely by the number of sheep, their milk, and the production period for the end product.

The next level of protection is at the European Union level which, in addition to offering a huge level of protection, will greatly contribute to the establishment, recognition and the subsequent sale of Pag cheese in Europe and across the whole world.

Aside from that, it will certainly contribute to additional financial support and encourage the breeding of sheep for husbandry in the area of ​​the island of Pag, which hopefully ultimately means in the retaining of the domestic workforce, as well as influencing number of inhabitants on the island, cattle-breeding and agriculture, and the overall development of the dairy and cheese industries.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated lifestyle page for information on Pag cheese and much, much more.

Click here for the original article by eZadar

Excellent news for Pag as its American distributor sings its praises.

The recent Gastronaut culinary tour of Pag island got us acquainted with its unforgettable gourmet delights. A tribute to the world-renowned Pag cheese and two outstanding cheese factories on March 29, 2018

Another win for Pag cheese!