Blueberry plantations in Serbia have seen explosive growth in the past five years. They have reached 2,500 hectares in acreage. Producing more than 6,000 tons of produce, and the acreage is still rapidly growing. Blueberry plantations are large and use the latest technology and practices in both production and trade. Serbian produce exporter Dotika wants to set an example. When it comes to export diversification and product management. says company owner Vladimir Milosavljevic. “We started buying and exporting fresh fruits to the EU market in 2019. Foremost in the markets of Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Austria. By visiting trade fairs throughout Europe, we have established numerous contacts. We started our cooperation with foreign partners, who are leading vendors for fruits and vegetables in the aforementioned countries.”
Milosavljevic says Dotika has been investing in the business through education. “In order to grow our business, we work on the education of our subcontractors. On the importance of introducing new technologies. The use of modern fruit varieties. The introduction and implementation of the GLOBAL GAP certificate, and the GRASP add-on required to enter the EU market. Our goal is to make our products available at the wholesale markets across the EU and in the supermarket chains. It is, therefore, necessary to keep pace with world trends. We offer products in appropriate and attractive packaging to create a well-known and recognizable brand.”
Blueberry plantations in Serbia have seen explosive growth in the past five years. It have reached 2,500 hectares in acreage. We producing more than 6,000 tons of produce, and the acreage is still rapidly growing. Blueberry plantations are large and use the latest technology and practices in both production and trade. Serbian produce exporter Dotika wants to set an example when it comes to export diversification and product management, says company owner Vladimir Milosavljevic: “We started buying and exporting fresh fruits to the EU market in 2019, foremost in the markets of Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Austria. By visiting trade fairs throughout Europe, we have established numerous contacts and started our cooperation with foreign partners, who are leading vendors for fruits and vegetables in the aforementioned countries.”
Milosavljevic says Dotika has been investing in the business through education. “In order to grow our business, we work on the education of our subcontractors on the importance of introducing new technologies, the use of modern fruit varieties, the introduction and implementation of the GLOBAL GAP certificate, and the GRASP add-on required to enter the EU market. Our goal is to make our products available not only at the wholesale markets across the EU but also in the supermarket chains. It is, therefore, necessary to keep pace with world trends and offer products in appropriate and attractive packaging to create a well-known and recognizable brand.”
The European market is not the only market that is interesting for Serbia. Milosavljevic states that they have managed to export to new markets in the past season as well: “This year, next to the European market, we exported blueberries to Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia and raspberries to Dubai. For season 2022 our plan is to expand our business with berries, cherries, and plums to Scandinavian countries and well-established markets EU, Middle East, and Asia.” he concludes.