RETROSPECTIVE 2010 - Investments in AGRICULTURE AND FOOD INDUSTRY that drew greatest attention of eKapija's users in 2010

eKapija's investment team has recently done an analysis and formed the rank list of investments and investment ideas that drew the greatest attention of eKapija's users in 2010. The results are very interesting, with plenty of surprises, so that we've decided to share this information with you.

Ice cream, potato chips, apples, juices, milk, wine, beer... In 2010, eKapija's readers again showed a great interest in stories about investments in the food industry and agriculture. But the "taste" of readers was different in 2010 than in 2009 when the top two stories on the list were about investments in the meat industry. The greatest attention of readers in 2010 was attracted by the story about domestic ice cream - Ice Fantasy, which has found its way to ice cream lovers in Russia, Bahrain and Serbia's surrounding countries.

What is also interesting is that most stories on our list are about investments of companies from Austria, Norway, USA, Germany, and Czech Republic in the food industry all around Serbia.

Are domestic investors less interested in agriculture or is it something else? However, our list includes only one project from this field - a 50 million euros worth of orchard in Irig.

As we already mentioned, the first-ranked investment in this category is Ice Cream Factory in Nova Pazova. Ice cream lovers can choose between 13 products named Ice Fantasy, which can be bought in family pack in stores throughout Serbia. Radosav Komadinic started the artisan production of ice cream in 2007, but since these products quickly found their way to consumers, it was necessary to increase the production and make it available to a larger number of people. Ice Cream Factory uses an Italian production line, one of the most modern lines of the kind in Europe, and it is producing 300,000 liters of products per month.

The second-ranked investment is Rudnap Agrar's investment worth EUR 50 million. The company started planting fruit trees, mainly apple trees, on 500 ha in the municipality of Irig, on southern slopes of Fruska Gora, in April 2010. Half of the apples from this plantation will be exported to the markets of the European Union and Russia, while the second half will be offered to the market of Serbia.

The third-ranked investment is the one made by Rauch in the juice factory in Koceljeva. In April 2010, the Austrian company put in operation a new production line for bottling Limessa juices in two-liter bottles, in which it invested 2 million euros. Limessa is the new brand intended for a broad range of consumers. About 50% of the factory's production is exported to the markets of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania, while people from Rauch also announced commencement of export to Croatia, Turkey and Bulgaria. The juice factory in Koceljeva annually processes 1,500 tons of fruits.

The fourth-ranked story on this list is the news about opening of a fish processing plant in Bela Zemlja, near Uzice, in the construction of which Euro BB from Norway is going to invest about EUR 3 million. The investment will be implemented in phases over the next three years and lead to employment of 250 workers. The future fish processing plant's product portfolio will include smoked salmon, mackerel fillets, Serbian trout, and other fish products.

A big attention of our readers was also drawn by the news that the dairy company Meggle Eastern Europe had acquired Mladost Dairy from Kragujevac, owned by the company Silbo, and that story ranks fifth.

The sixth-ranked investment is a new potato chips production line at Marbo Product's plant in Backi Maglic. The world's most modern technology worth 16 million euros will contribute to a better taste of potato chips and about 100 new employees will be operating the new production line. Besides, the company invested 4 million euros in a wastewater treatment unit in September.

The seventh-ranked is the news that the food company Aleva from Novi Knezevac is going to invest between 5 and 7 million euros in the new plant in that town. Except for selling products in the domestic market and the markets of countries in the region, Aleva also entered the market of Russian Federation few years ago.

The eighth-ranked investment is Takovo's investment in Gornji Milanovac where the company opened a factory of ready-to-eat meals worth 4.7 million euros in June 2010. The plant has 77 employees who work in two shifts to produce 24 tons of food a day.

Beer lovers were happy to read the news about the production of Czech Staropramen beer in Serbia, which ranks ninth on our list. The Apatin brewer invested EUR 5 million in the production of this beer. Staropramen, with the tradition of quality over 130 years long, is produced by the license of Prague-based Pivovara Staropramen brewery.

The tenth-ranked is an interesting story about Mackov Podrum wine cellar. Sava Jojic, the owner of that cellar, started making wine in 2006 and invested 1 million euros in that business.

Mackov Podrum has 26 employees who take care of 30 ha of vineyards. The company has already launched 7 labels and plans to launch another wine in 2011.

A big interest of eKapija's readers was also drawn by the EUR 37 million investment of Frikom and Idea in an industrial-commercial facility in the vicinity of Zmaj gas station in Belgrade, as well as by the investment in the production of the first Serbian combine for picking raspberries.

One more thing - have you already read which projects drew your greatest attention in the categories of SHOPPING CENTERS; TOURISM ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION; as well as RESIDENTIAL AND OFFICE SPACE; HEALTH CARE; SPORTS and INDUSTRY.