Croatia plans €250,000 programme to expand Dalmatia’s famous Marasca cherry orchards
- by croatiaweek
- in News
ZADAR, 30 August 2026 – Zadar County is preparing a new support programme worth up to €250,000 aimed at expanding plantations of the traditional Marasca cherry over the next three years.
The proposed programme would support the establishment of new orchards, irrigation systems and soil preparation, with funding channelled through Croatian towns and municipalities.
Under the draft programme, around 10 hectares of new Marasca cherry plantations would be targeted in the first cycle, followed by 20 hectares in each of the second and third cycles.
The county would not distribute the money directly to farmers. Instead, cities and municipalities would receive the funds and subsequently organise their own public calls for farmers interested in planting new orchards, eZadar writes.
The proposed support includes up to €5 per tree for planting material, with an expected density of between 500 and 600 trees per hectare.
Farmers could also receive up to €2,000 per hectare towards irrigation, while soil analysis could be supported with up to €400 per hectare. Soil preparation could qualify for additional support of up to €1,000 per hectare from local authorities.
Applications for tree planting would range from a minimum of 250 trees, covering around half a hectare, to a maximum of three hectares per applicant.
The overall programme would allocate up to €250,000 from the Zadar County budget. The draft envisages €50,000 in 2027, followed by €100,000 in both 2028 and 2029.
The programme is intended to strengthen local agricultural production and encourage the creation of new Marasca orchards in an area historically associated with the variety.
Before individual public calls are launched, the county plans to survey farmers to determine the level of interest and estimate demand for planting material.
The proposal is still subject to the relevant budgetary and administrative procedures, with the final amounts to depend on annual county budgets and subsequent public calls.
