Sour cherries from Prokuplje arriving to USA and EU markets – Annual export revenues EUR 20 million

(Illustration) The tourism event Sour Cherry Days 2017 was held in Prokuplje on Friday, June 30, 2017, bringing together producers of sour cherries and derivative products from the Toplica District. Mayor of Prokuplje Miroljub Paunovic said that the goal of the event was to highlight the importance of the production of sour cherries and the need to maintain its cultivation in the municipality of Prokuplje and a wider region.

– The municipality of Prokuplje is the top producer of sour cherries in Serbia. Sour cherries take up around 2,500 hectares and annual production amounts to around 15,000 tons – Paunovic said.

He added that the sour cherry from the area was being exported to the USA and the EU markets and that annual export revenues amounted to EUR 20 million.

Paunovic also said that the low spring temperatures and ground frost had caused great damage to the sour cherries and reduced the yield by 50%.

– More than 90% of the production is sold and processed outside the area of the Prokuplje municipality, thereby draining a considerable portion of the income from the area, which is why it's necessary to create processing capacities here – Paunovic said.

He added that they expected from the state to “use measures of incentives and subsidies to help us bring the technology up to a greater level, attract investors, find a solution for the jewel beetle problem and adapt to the demands of a modern market”.

As part of the Sour Cherry Days, the Fair of sour cherry products, honey and handicraft business was held, in which people from Prokupac and the neighboring municipalities took part.

Grad Prokuplje

sour cherry

production of sour cherry

Sour Cherry Days 2017

Miroljub Paunovic

export of sour cherry

processing industry