USAID

For agricultural producers and processors, like any other business people, staying abreast of new technologies and market requirements, is, apart from being crucial for one’s experience and growth potential, an essential prerequisite for acquiring new buyers and producing value-added products. To encourage agricultural development, USAIDs Agribusiness project unites foreign companies and experts with Serbian agribusinesses and associations.

Rafael Godoy from Chile, famous in some circles for having invented a technology that extends the period for keeping raspberries fresh for up to an amazing fourteen days after harvesting, visited Serbia this summer. He presented his technology’s’ advantages and its practical implementation to a group of companies and cooperatives engaged in the sale of fresh berries, and shared other valuable experiences and best practices from Chile. Samples of fresh raspberries prepared during his visit, were distributed to partners in Germany, England and Russia, and received highest grades and the ’green light’ for regular shipments during the upcoming season.

Richard Dale, an established expert in the field of production and marketing of berry fruits, spoke to producers and cooperatives all over Serbia about ways to extend the growing season through green house production, and the introduction of various technologies. 'We’ve assessed the strengths and weaknesses of raspberry production in Serbia and believe that Serbia has to tackle several challenges in order to remain competitive in this sector, some of the most important being a change of raspberry varieties, the introduction of mechanical raspberry harvesting and the selling of fresh berries”, said Dale.

Jeffrey Spear, an leading U.S. experts in design, strategic marketing and planning, met with Serbian food producers and facilitated a training titled “The importance of marketing – increased sales and exports through better design”, attended by representatives of thirty-six local agribusinesses and designers. It was organized jointly with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and “Fruits of Serbia”. Spear shared his valuable experience in the area of marketing and design and illustrated numerous positive examples, but also pointed out some not so successful practices. Representatives of local companies were given the opportunity to pose questions and get clarity on and advice about a number of dilemmas facing them.

USAIDs Agribusiness Project aims to increase sales and exports within six agricultural sectors: fruits, vegetables, dairy, livestock, production of berry fruits and herbs, spices and mushrooms. In cooperation with Serbian producers, the Project aims to boost productivity in agriculture, and to strengthen producer organizations and agribusiness service providers. It supports agribusinesses in their quest of expanding existing and entering new markets, and acquiring more buyers for their products and services.