Croatia Having To Import €170M Worth Of Fruit Annually

In the 1980’s Croatia was exporting fruit to the value of 350 million euros, today Croatia is importing 170 million euros worth and it is concerning, says the Croatian fruit growers association.

“Amateur fruit growers have no perspective, a large part of our fruit production will not stand a chance from foreign competition when we enter the EU, says Stanko Cosic Dragan from Agrofructus.

“It is absurd, but true, local fruit production today can only meet 50-60% of Croatia’s needs. It is clear that a fast recovery for Croatian fruit growers will not happen. Without new plantations, new fruit varieties, modern technology, modernisation, education and fruit growers uniting, is hard to expect a long-term economic power of the domestic fruit industry”, said Frane Ivkovic from the Fruit growers association.

The only fruit that Croatia produces in enough quantity to meet needs and export is mandarins. Each year Croatia exports 35,000 tons.

NUMBERS:

55,000 tons of mandarins produced in Croatia, of which 35,000 are exported, the only fruit produced in large enough quantity in Croatia

170 million euros worth of fruit imported a year into Croatia, in the 1980’s Croatia used to export 350 million euros worth of fruit yearly

200,000 tons annually Croatia must import worth of apples, 30,000 tons of pears, apricots, nectarines and plums.