“Delta agrar” is expecting 2.500 tones of apples in the fruit yard “Podunavlje”

Agricultural company “Podunavlje” from Celarevo, active within “Delta agrar”, is expecting to have 2.500 tones of apples in this year’s yield on 117 planted hectares, as it was stated today (August, 20, 2009) by the property’s manager, Nikola Milicevic.

- We have 6 kinds of apples bred on the property, and the biggest harvest of around 50 tones per hectare is expected in “gala” kind and “breburn” kind – stated Mr. Milicevic for the Press on their tour of Celarevo fruit yard.

In this year’s apple harvest they are using a specialized machine with movable tracks which place the apples directly into the boxes, which makes the process twice faster, and expenses are double cut.

Mr. Milicevic explained that in that way the apple only passes through the worker's hands and in such undamaged condition is delivered to the market.

- With the help from our workers about 300 kg of apples are picked in one hour, and in a traditional way of picking it is possible to pick up to 150 kg, said Milicevic.

Slobodan Kosutic, the Manager for categorizing of fruits and vegetables in “Delta agrar” stated that 80% of apple harvest was exported to Russia and EU countries.

According to his words, the apples are placed to the Russian market from their representative office in Moscow, and also they export to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia.

- Exporting sales price is 45 – 50 cents per kilo, and on domestic market the prices are between 50 and 60 cents, said Mr. Kosutic.

"Delta agrar" will offer support to agriculturists in Serbia in breeding of apples. The company plans to give them the seeds, technology, equipment and a guarantee of purchase of the harvest in the next 15 years, announced Mr. Milicevic.

Project Development Manager in agriculture of "Delta agrar", Milos Zivkovic, stated that they were expecting next year to have on their property first class apple yield of 70 tones per hectares.

"Delta agrar" representatives also announced that Celarevo would have the third apple harvest, and the maximum yield was expected in the 5th year.

- There is a network for anti hail protection, a system against frost and meteorological station in Celarevo fruit yard, while irrigation and nutrition of fruit is done with drop-to-drop system, stated Mr. Zivkovic.

"Podunavlje" property spreads on 2.300 hectares, and it is used for growing of fruit, vegetables, soya, sunflower, wheat, sugar beet and oil seed rape.