The production of truffles is expected to begin by the end of the year in Srbac.
The Mayor of the city Drago Ćirić spoke a few days ago in Belgrade with representatives of the English company “Green Laboratories LTD”, which through its subsidiary in Belgrade established a network of potential collaborators of investment in high-quality food throughout Europe.
“In Serbia there are plenty of truffle plantations that are placed in the market and if we apply that in our municipality, that would revive our agricultural production’’, said Mayor Ćirić.
Based on the application of interested farms, the English company would produce a study, after which an agreement would be signed on plantation cultivation of truffles with farmers. The company would organize training for the cultivation of truffles and the agreement would be signed for 20 years.
“Farmers would conduct the preparation and processing of land, and the company would provide high-quality and certified hazel seedlings with truffles produced in the world’s most advanced laboratories. The revenue with the plantation is divided so that an agricultural household received 70 percent and the company 30 percent. Having in mind that the two dunums soil can earn about 27 thousand euros a year, that means that farmers could receive around 19,000 euros a year”, said Ćirić.
The company would be obligated to a twenty-year purchase, and hazelnuts and truffles according to global prices at the time of harvest and pay benefits within 30 days of the harvest. The company would do the entire harvest, or the collection of truffles.
“The plantation is economically viable for up to 50 years. The global demand for truffles is much higher than the supply, so it is certain that in the future they will be one of the most requested items’’, said Ćirić.
As the plantation of truffles is possible only under certain climate conditions, and Serbia and the RS have the conditions for it, the English company has decided to begin this project in our area.
“In the next two years we will organize a meeting with our farmers and introduce them to the project. We will record the number of stakeholders in order to provide free planting material. We expect to start planting during the fall and that is the best time for this type of production”, says Mayor Ćirić.
