Kakanj: Farmers increase raspberry production, guaranteed purchase

The Municipality of Kakanj continuously works on finding solutions that will enable unemployed persons, as well as others who want to work to earn additional income, to start their own business, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

In the past two years, milk production has experienced an expansion, so the amount of purchased milk increased from 18,000 to 90,000 liters in one quarter.

Another option is planting berries. In the autumn period of last year, 120 dunams of raspberry plantations were planted in the area of Kakanj, which is fascinating for a municipality that is primarily known as an industrial area.

Recently, municipal authorities held a meeting with representatives of the company Frutti Fungi from Visoko, which provided agricultural producers with seedlings, irrigation systems, mineral fertilizers, etc., with deferred payment until the moment this company purchases the market surplus of products from Kakanj producers.

The company “Frutti Funghi” will provide incentives through favorable prices for certified seedlings, irrigation systems, mineral fertilizers, and providing services for monitoring and overseeing the establishment of plantations and cultivation. 

The Municipality of Kakanj will provide incentives amounting to 200 KM per dunam, and producers can also receive a cantonal incentive of 300 KM per dunam in addition to this incentive. Furthermore, it is a known fact that the Municipality of Kakanj also supports agricultural production through the allocation of machinery, etc. It is important to suggest that these incentives apply only to certified seedlings, given that seedlings without a certificate and the required quality have appeared on the market.

In order to establish raspberry plantations, agricultural producers can secure funds for their own participation in a very acceptable way. The microcredit foundation “Partner” has provided a very favorable AGRO loan for establishing new plantations of berries and tree fruits, purchasing irrigation systems, purchasing greenhouses and greenhouse equipment, and planting material for growing vegetable crops. The interest for a loan amount of 1,000.00 KM with a repayment period of 1 year amounts to 54.08 KM.

If one takes into account the fact that establishing a raspberry plantation on one dunam requires an investment of 1,500 KM, along with municipal and cantonal incentives, a favorable AGRO loan, and guaranteed purchase of the market surplus of products, this offer truly provides unemployed persons with an excellent opportunity to secure their livelihood, it was announced from the Municipality of Kakanj, reports the Patria agency.