Food Industry
- Over 5 million ha of agricultural area, with 4.2 million ha of arable land
- Plums account for over 50% of orchards in Serbia
- Around 90% of arable land is privately owned
- Serbia produces 85,000 tons of raspberries per year, 65% of the total EU production and 15.2% of world production
- The lowest usage rates of artificial pesticide in Europe
- Substantial areas for expanding organic production on more than 200,000 ha
Juicy Competitors Serbia boasts ideal natural conditions for the growing of fruit. Its soil is still one of the cleanest in Europe, while most of the fruit is grown in perfect conditions, hand picked, carefully stored, and packaged. Serbian fruit cultivation places an emphasis on quality and flavor. In 2007 Serbia produced 1,355,800 tons of fruit, accounting for 6.57% of the EU production. Furthermore, out of 244,000 hectares producing fruit 50% are plum orchards, being the most dominant local fruit.
Veggie Land Additionally, Serbia's diverse climate and ample land resources create unique opportunities for the development of primary vegetable production. Corn is being grown on 1.2 million hectares right after France and Hungary, the top producers in Europe.
Growing Demand Serbia's food industry is well-developed and poised to lead export growth for the country. Currently, the industry exports juices, concentrates, purees, jams, frozen and dried produce, while the export of meat is rapidly increasing. Namely, the export of baby beef in 2003 amounted to 1.7 tones, while in 2007 the increase five folded to over 9 tones. The vast majority of Serbian exports go to the European Union, and, as the EU's health standards become more stringent, many companies have quickly responded by introducing quality standards such as HACCP, GLOBAL GAP, ISO 14000, ISO 22000, Halal, BRC, IFS, GOST R, Kosher and others.
Top Quality Investment opportunities in the fruit processing sector are provided primarily by the quality of raw materials that can be used in production. In addition, potential investors enjoy strong support from Serbia's recognized fruit research institutes. The creation of improved varieties and development of new cultivation methods are undertaken by a compound network of state-owned institutes, development organizations, and universities. Research is focused mainly on technologically advanced vegetable production and leads to high quality, environmentally friendly seeds and vegetable crop production.
