Berry Production in Serbia

M. NIKOLIĆ 1, JASMINKA MILIVOJEVIĆ 1 AND

AN D A. LEPOSAVIĆ 2

1 Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade University, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia

2 Fruit Research Institute, Kralja Petra I, No 9, 32000 Čačak, Serbia
The State of Berry
y Production in Serbia

Berries have special significance in Serbia

because they represent an important export product.
Serbia is among the leading world countries according
to raspberry and blackberry production, whereas
strawberry production is less important. Currants and
bl b
blueberries
i have
h b
been i
introduced
d d to production
d i only
l
recently.
 RASPBERRY

Raspberry (Rubus ideaus L.) is a leading berry in Serbia, and

together with blackberry, plum and sour cherry, is one of the
p
most exported products. In recent y
p years, its pproduction has
ranged between 60,000 and 70,000 t. It is estimated that there
are about 15,000 producers, and that raspberry areas occupy
about 15,500 ha.
 Production is mainly realised in the hilly-mountainous
regions of western and south-western Serbia.

A great fragmentation of raspberry fields (0,2 – 0,3ha) is one of the

greatest obstacles to yield increase and modernization of the
production.
Growing technology is conventional and
vertical trellis system prevails.
prevails
 There are only a few larger complexes of raspberry orchards
in Serbia. The biggest one, “Libertas” company, has orchards on
the total area of 52 ha located in Mačva region, near Šabac. This
company is also owner of two combines for mechanized harvesting.
 The leading cultivar is Willamette with approximately 95% of
production, followed by cv Meeker (4% of production), whereas all the
other cultivars participate with only 1%.
1%

Willamette Meeker

„ Late season cultivar

cultivar,, very productive
with excellent raspberry flavour.
flavour.
„ It produces large and uniform fruit
which gives high % of rollend frozen
quality category
category..
„ This cultivar is also acceptable for
fresh market!
market!
 Tulameen Glen Ample

„ Mid season cultivars

cultivars with high yields of large berries
„ Excellent fruit flavour and quality
„ Good
G d fruit
f it presentation
t ti f for easy picking
i ki
„ Th
The
ese cultivars
cultivars are particularly suitable for fresh market
market!!
 Primocane fruiting raspberry cultivars
are being slowly introduced into production on the total area of 20 ha.
ha
Trellis is not required !

These cultivars offer an additional method of p production which

reduces labour costs, canes are simply mowed down early each spring
and the crop is borne on the primocanes in the late summer and fall.
 New orchards of primocane fruiting
raspberry cultivars
Cv Heritage

Cv Polka
 Polka
• Polka ripens much earlier
than Heritage;
• Large, oval
oval-conical,
conical, medium
to dark red berries with
high firmness
• Excellent sweet flavour
Heritage
•The primocane crop ripens relatively late;
• High yielding cultivar;
• Fruit is medium-sized and has good colour
and flavour, firmness, and good freezing
quality.
 Autumn Bliss Polana

The main advantages of these cultivars are:

• Early ripening time (10-14 days before Heritage)
• High
Hi h yields
i ld
• Both cultivars produce attractive and hhigh
igh quality berries suitable for
fresh consumption and processing
 The main raspberry production is processed, i.e. frozen, and
exported within two quality categories: rollend and gries.
After the end of the picking season the raspberries are
classified into the mentioned categories.

Polana

Fractions
F ti of
f ffrozen raspberry:
b
Rollend 45%; Gries 46%; Bruh 5% and
Block 4%.
 The export of fresh raspberries from Serbia is
negligible Bad organization of harvesting and lack of
negligible.
producers’ and exporters’ interests in this business are
the main reasons for this state.
The closeness of market and attractive price, new cultivars suitable
for fresh consumption, possibility of out of season raspberry
production
d ti are major
j reasons which
hi h could ld contribute
t ib t tot the
th
orientation of our raspberry production and placement toward that
goal.
 Blackberry
y
Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) is the second most important
berry in Serbia. Its production in 2005 reached 25,500 t on the total
area of 5,500 ha, and later, it increased to 30,000 t in 2007, when it
reached a rather high price. Therefore, our country became the
second largest blackberry producer in the world, following the USA.
Due to a large amount of unsold blackberry in 2007, only about 10,000
t was produced and sold in 2008.
 The main production areas are
in Central Serbia, Mačva, Morava
Ri
River b
basin
i anddP
Pocerina.
i
 Čačanska
Black Saten Thornfree
bestrna

The predominant cultivar is Čačanska bestrna (50% of

total production), followed by Thornfree and Black saten .
 There are only a few new thornless cultivars which are being
introduced into production, such as:
Triple crown

Early trials indicate

that
h Triple l crown
may ripen earlier
than Chester and is
similar to Chester
in winter hardiness!
Chester thornless Jumbo
 Strawberry
y
Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) occupies the third position
according to the importance and the extent of production. Its
production achieved 30,000t in 2007, but now we can notice a
decreasing trend of strawberry production.
Despite suitable ecological conditions for strawberry growing, total
production area is only 3,000 ha. It is mainly grown in Belgrade
region, southern Serbia, Morava River basin, Mačva etc.
 Senga Sengana Favette

Old cultivars, Favette and Senga Sengana, are predominant in the

production because they are adaptable to the growing systems without
plastic mulches and irrigation.
Favette

Senga Sengana
Newly established modern strawberry orchards
 Marmolada Onebor Madeleine Civmad

In recent years, newly introduced cultivars (Madeleine, Marmolada,

Clery,
l Elsanta,
El Alba,
lb Queen Elisa)
El ) have
h shown
h excellent
ll results.
l
 Elsanta Queen elisa

Generally, this cultivar is

Generally
In our ecological conditions it superior to other cultivars
expressed yield variations (0,5 – regarding early ripening time,
g per
1 kg p plant)
p ) as result of the g productivity
high p y and fruit
influence of climate and applied firmness, excellent quality and
growing technology. pleasant flavour.
Clery Alba

They have become very popular

cultivars of high commercial value
based on their earliness and
excellent fruit quality.
Large amount of strawberries
is realised as a fresh product
on domestic market, but there
is also export of frozen
products.
d t
 Blueberry
Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium
( corymbosum
b L.)) has
h been
b slowly
l l
expanding throughout Serbia, especially in the area of western Serbia.
Total production areas presently range from 60 to 70 ha.
ha
Highbush blueberry cultivars are mostly grown (Bluecrop,
Berkeley, Ozark blue, Duke, Reka etc.).
Arilje
 Berkeley Bluecrop

Ozarkblue

Mid season highbush blueberry

cultivars with high yields (end of
J ne - beginning of July).
June J l )
Berries are medium to large, light
blue with great flavour.
 Duke Those are of special
interest because of
large and attractive
berries as well as early
ripening.
i i

Reka

Bred in New Zealand .

It is one of the most
adaptable cultivars we have
seen.
Fruit has better flavour than
Duke and excellent freezing
quality.
quality
 Currants
Currants (Ribes nigrum; Ribes rubrum) are randomly grown in Serbia on total
production area of approximately 50 ha with negligible yields. There are also older
orchards in western Serbia, mostly including red currants, so total production
ranges from 100 to 150 t.
Ben Sarek Ben Lomond Titania

Presently, there is an expansion of black currant

cultivars and these cultivars are mostly grown in
newly
l established
bli h d orchards.
h d
Rondom Junifer

Rovada

Among the red currant cultivars these presented above

have the dominant share.
They are mostly suitable for fresh consumption!
 Blanka Zitavia

White currant cultivars (Primus, Blanka, Zitavia) are

present in smaller extent within production.
 CONCLUSIONS

- Raspberry
R b will
ill remain
i a lleading
di b berry iin S
Serbia,
bi with
ith
intention to increase export of fresh raspberries and to
extend
t dh harvesting
sti sseason;
s

- Blackberry production should be maintained at the

same level with the introduction of new cultivars;

- The level of strawberry production should be enhanced

with intensification of growing systems;

- Currant
Cu nt and
nd blu
blueberry
b p
production
ducti n should
sh uld be
b expanded.
xp nd d
 - Challenges and plans -

Besides all mentioned, what will be of special interest to

us in the ffuture are the ffollowing
g subjects:
j

• To intoduce new berries: chockeberry and

cranberry (lingonberry)
• To implement GLOBAL GAP standard for
quality
q y assurance
• To apply mechanized harvesting
• To build smaller processing facilities
• Permanent training of producers
• More aggressive marketing with goal to
enhance berries consumption.
consumption
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION