Plum Fair Concludes, 250 Exhibitors Present Products

The 42nd International Agricultural and Food Industry Fair – Plum Fair has concluded in Gradačac. About 250 exhibitors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Turkey presented their products at the oldest specialized fair event in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports the Patria news agency.

Organizers of the Gradačac Fair emphasize that everything went smoothly and that they are satisfied with the activities carried out over these four days.

- The fair was definitely very rich in content, and we are satisfied with the number of exhibitors and visitors, which was overall higher than in previous years. I thank the exhibitors and look forward to seeing them at the fair again next year - said Hašim Šabanović, director of the Gradačac Fair.

This year, the fair also featured producers of food and beverages, agricultural machinery and plant protection products, as well as numerous institutions, organizations, and companies that support and promote agriculture.

As noted, agricultural production has faced various natural disasters in recent years, including floods first and then drought, which have significantly reduced yields. To increase agricultural yields again and help producers improve production, a unified market and unified incentives are necessary, the fair in Gradačac concluded.

Current topics in agriculture were presented at a scientific-professional consultation and roundtable discussions. As expected, much attention at these lectures was devoted to plum production and processing, as well as fertilization and the protection of plants and fruit crops.

Unfortunately, Syngenta's plum analyses for this region for the current year are not positive. The research concluded that this year we had very large fruits, but they were largely wormy, which was not what was expected. Therefore, producers need to use products that will eliminate worminess if they want a quality product.

Programs to encourage product standardization and importation into the European market were also presented. Given that on the Balkan market, producers, not the state, have the main say in production, it is necessary to manage capital carefully and, before investing in any production, answer the questions of who will pay for and consume that product, the lecturers agreed.

The number of collective exhibitions at this year's fair was higher than ever. The Municipality of Gradačac, Posavina Canton, Municipality of Šamac, Cooperative Union of BiH, Women's Associations from Gradačac and Modriča, Tourist Board of the Federation of BiH, Tourist Board of TK, Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers of Žepče are just some of the collective exhibitions that visitors could see during the four fair days.

The fair's exhibition space was further enriched this year with numerous agricultural machinery. Additionally, innovative facilities for drying fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs, as well as various processing machines, were presented.

Medals for the quality of exhibited products were awarded at the fair, and a ceremony for awarding medals for the highest quality brandies, liqueurs, and other alcoholic beverages was held at the agricultural holding "Krušik" in Donji Skugrić, Modriča municipality.

The Gradačac Fair medal was also awarded to the company Natura Food from Balatun near Bijeljina, a member of the Adriatic Group. They stated they were satisfied with their presentation at the Plum Fair, where they showcased their sour and sweet product lines. These are 100% domestic products, resulting from the cultivation of BiH farmers, which are mostly placed on the EU market.

- This year we received a silver medal; next year we are coming for gold - said Executive Director Senahid Huremović.

That the fair was exceptionally well-attended is confirmed by the fact that 500 people from Zavidovići visited the fairgrounds, their trip organized by the General Cooperative "Sloga-Zavidovići" PO, with the support of the municipal mayor Suad Omerašević.

The fair organizers stated that the event, which has been held continuously since 1996 and was founded back in 1969, once again lived up to all expectations, and that the organizers will strive to keep this long-standing and beautiful tradition alive.