Zagreb’s Distribution Centre invests in berry-sorting machine

ZAGREB, May 3 (Hina) – The Distribution Centre for Fruit and Vegetables, a company co-owned by Zagreb County, will receive by the end of May a machine for sorting berries worth HRK 1.6 million, the County announced earlier this week.

They noted that this was the first such machine in Croatia, which sorts out and packs different sorts of berries (blueberries, chokeberries, blackberries, raspberries, currant, and similar fruit), and other fruit  with less than than 5 centimetres in diameter.

“Despite the fact that these are the times when all expenses are cut, we have decided to start the process of procuring this sophisticated machine because of the needs and the requirements of berry growing farmers, who produce around 200 tonnes in Zagreb County only,” stated the director of the Distribution Centre, Hrvoje Bunjevac.

He also added that berry plantations are expanding every year, and that production is expected to grow, especially as everyone is conscious today of the importance of developing domestic food production.

The County reminds that the Distribution Centre had placed 40 tonnes of blueberries grown in the Zagreb County on the domestic and the EU market in 2019.

“With the procurement of the machine, we will satisfy all requirements from the existing and potential new buyers, who ask for the berries to be sorted by size, colour, and the hardness of the fruit, which is impossible to do properly without such a machine,” Bunjevac explained.

The Distribution Centre for Fruit and Vegetables is a company owned by the Zagreb County (84.12%), the town of Velika Gorica (12.38%), and Zagrebacki Vocnjaci p.z. (3.5%).

Since 2012, it has provided services of processing, storage, finishing packaging, phytopathological monitoring, certifying, loading, and shipping fruit and vegetables.