Among the most valuable plant species of this area, besides the olive trees, is certainly the chestnut (Castanea sativa - Mill.), described on this site by the famous Italian botanist Visiani in 1768.
Along with Stoliv and some other smaller localities on Mount Vrmac, on the territory of Boka Kotorska are chestnut plants in Kostanjica and Herceg-Novi (Savinska Dubrava). Unfortunately, today this Mediterranean plant in Boka is unjustifiably neglected.
Known world researchers have pointed out that the chestnut tree is contaminated, attacked by Cryphonectria parasitic – a cancer of tree bark, and that in the last century the disease spread across Europe. Studies and findings carried out by the competent Montenegrin authorities have confirmed that the trees in Boka have been ill and the disease is particularly noticeable in Stoliv. Cancer of tree bark causes damage to trees by partly or completely drying them, causing the surface of chestnut forests to be reduced.
Kostanjada Stoliv – photo Boka News
The region has paid great attention to the health status of this important fruit tree for a long time, taking phytosanitary and other measures to protect and revitalize the areas under this crop. But this is not the case with us!
A few years ago the MZ "Stoliv" and the NGO "Kamelija" organized a professional meeting, a lecture on the "Situation and valorization of chestnut plantations in Montenegro with special emphasis on the locality of Stoliv". Experts from Croatia and Macedonia visited the chestnut woods in Gornji Stoliv on this occasion, analyzing the degree of the illness.
"The problem of the disease is cancer of the chestnut. The cause of the fungus is Cryphonectria parasitica, therefore the protection, removal of trees, and biological protection of pesticides are needed. In some of the plantations, the chestnuts that are very badly affected are exported to Slovenia and used to produce tannins. Chestnut is used for nutritional and pharmaceutical purposes," said Dr. Sanja Novak Agbaba of the Forestry Institute in Zagreb.
Photo: Boka News
She then proposed the monitoring and cooperation with Montenegro through joint projects for the protection of chestnut forests. She also stressed that EU funds should be used for research.
Unfortunately, alongside the warning by the organization from Stoliv and Ostros near Bar, the competent state authorities who are implementing phytosanitary measures have not done anything to date.
At the aforementioned conference on the state of the chestnut forests in the region, Sašo Matovski from Macedonia spoke.
"Unfortunately, our chestnuts are bought by various companies, which are later resold to pharmacological companies. Our organization "Bela Vista" - the Institute for Sustainable Regional and Rural Development, intends to make a common strategy for the protection of chestnut bark. The Chestnut forests you have should be protected and declared a monument of nature, as well as that the state should make strategic plans so that the part of Vrmac with chestnuts is protected and cleaned. You should valorize your autochthonous products, such as chestnuts and offer it through a gastronomic offer to tourists visiting Boka Bay. In Tetovo, we used recipes from our grandmothers, and in the pastry shop, as a brand, brought back old chestnut cakes, so you can also supplement your tourist-gastronomic offer.
Kostanj-Gornji Stoliv photo Boka News
Everything is sprayed today, treated with pesticides, and the chestnut is the only real ecological product, a gift of nature and you have to recognize and protect," said Sašo Matovski of the Institute for Sustainable Regional and Rural Development "Bela Vista" - Tetovo. No doubt, the trees of the domestic chestnuts from Boka must be protected as soon as possible! Investigations should identify the number and status of trees and propose measures for integral protection. Experts say that when the Vrmac area is protected as a regional park, there will be an approach for the integral protection not only of chestnut trees, but also of the entire area of Vrmac. But, until then...
Gornji Stoliv path through the chestnut forest - Photo Boka News
Chestnut plantations
In the European Union, Italy is the largest producer and processor of chestnuts, producing about 50,000 tons per year. Following it, the biggest producers are Spain and France. The chestnut in our country is not practically cultivated, but its exploitation is reduced to exploitation in the woods. Until 2009, there were no chestnut plantations in the Republic of Croatia, and then planting in small areas in Istria began.
Kostanjada 2016.
By the way, in Boka Bay, the event called "Kostanjada" has been held in Stoliv for years, and as we unofficially found out this year, it will be held on November 4th.
Text by Boka news, on October 14th, 2018, read more at Boka news
