Better days for raspberry from Prijepolje - Municipality begins preparations for construction of regional cold storage plant worth over USD 1.2 million

Aside from traditional plum and apple, berry-like fruits, primarily raspberry, have gained in significance over the past decade in the municipality of Prijepolje as well as across the entire region. About 1,000 tonnes of this fruit are produced every year in Prijepolje alone, while people in nearby Priboj produce even more - about 2,500 tonnes a year.

Therefore, the two municipalities on the Lim River have decided to find a partner for a regional cold storage plant that would facilitate the improvement of competitiveness of Prijepolje's raspberry and secure jobs for local population – at the plant as well as through cooperative arrangements. They have decided to seek the key to successful cooperation in public-private partnership.

Aforementioned cold storage plant would be situated in a completely equipped location in the Kolovrat business zone that has been provided by the municipality. Preliminary designs are already completed, and the work is now underway on final designs.

Prijepolje (Photo: turizamprijepolje.org.rs)

The regional cold storage plant project in Prijepolje was declared one of the top eight entries in the competition dubbed "Public Private Partnership as Development Potential" that was organized by the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED) with support from the USAID Sustainable Local Development Project. The municipality of Prijeplje is the project coordinator, whereas Priboj is the partner. According to first esstimates, the total value of this project is USD 1.277 million.

This cold storage plant will have a total capacity of 1,790 tonnes of fruits.

The project will be presented to prospective private partners at an investment conference that will be organized by NALED and USAID in Belgrade this November.

M.S.