In order to promote domestic products and better placement through trade and tourism offer, the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, Podgorica City and Montenegro Business Alliance, with the support of the ministries of economy, sustainable development and tourism, organized the Agriculture Fair in Podgorica on Thursday.
Around 60 participants presented their products on Independence Square – individual producers, processing companies and their clusters. Exhibitors and visitors were welcomed at the opening by Vukota Stanišić for the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, noting this manifestation presents only a small part of what Montenegro hosts, producers and processors can offer the market.
“Diversity and abundance of the offer beyond the main season, seen at today’s fair, once again confirm the Montenegro agriculture represents a chance for successful agribusiness, a source of quality, fresh and homemade products for Montenegro consumers and tourists who are increasingly flocking to our country,” said Stanišić.
He stated there have been steps forward in production volume, quality of domestic products, introduction of necessary standards, new production technologies, made jointly by hard-working farmers, entrepreneurs and Montenegro government which continually creates numerous support programs.
Stanišić also stated even stronger support for producers will continue in the advancement of competitiveness, but also their better connectivity with the tourism and trade sector, which is the aim of today’s manifestation.
“The Agriculture Ministry has secured for the current year an agribudget 26 percent higher than last year. 40 million euro is at the disposal of farmers through many support measures, where we have paid special attention to reaching more farming households, young farmers and creating better living conditions in rural areas. There are also increasingly ample EU funds through the IPARD and other programs, through which we have secured significant funds for grants, both in primary production and processing,” added Stanišić.
According to him, the production sector is moving forward in production volume, securing the necessary quality, modern marketing and increasing price competitiveness. An encouraging message was also heard from the trade sector, in which six leading supermarket chains are willing to work together as partners to farmers.
“This message should contribute to better placement of agricultural products, which is our priority. In that sense the government has, together with businesses and supermarket chains, initiated activities in realizing the Kupujmo Domaće program (buy domestic). In the largest chains domestic products are now more visible and approachable to consumers. In the coming period, it is expected that similar partnerships will be shown by representatives of the tourism economy, which can increase the appeal and recognisability of their offer through larger involvement of domestic, organic, original products and gastronomy specialties. Together we will join forces in order to raise the awareness of consumers of the quality of domestic products and importance of consuming them,” cited Stanišić.
“It is imperative we all understand that choosing a domestic product means contributing to the development of the domestic economy, opening of new jobs, which will eventually raise the standard of living for all of us and development of the entire society. Thus, in order to reach our goal of better placement of domestic products, all sectors must make new lunges, working together to achieve this goal,” underlined Stanišić.
As part of the fair a roundtable discussion was held on the topic of “Agriculture development possibility through cooperation with the tourism and trade sectors,” where representatives of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, Economy Ministry, Sustainable Development and Tourism Ministry, as well as Podgorica and Montenegro Business Alliance talked to producers and entrepreneurs on the options of better connectivity of the agriculture with tourism and trade.
Translated from Café del Montenegro, for the original click here.
