Czechs eye Srbijanka

Czerozfrucht from Czech Republic, one of the largest fruit processors and distributors in south, central and east Europe, with an annual turnover of EUR 450 million, is interested in acquiring Valjevo-based Srbijanka.

Due to several ongoing court disputes between the former public company Srbijanka and Nova Srbijanka, the acquisition of this food company is not possible at the moment, so the city management will seek assistance from the Serbian government.

- We will suggest the Serbian government that the Czech company should take over Srbijanka and manage that company until numerous ongoing litigations are ended, which can take years - says Dragan Jeremic, the director of the City Directorate and the initiator of the arrival of Czerozfrucht's delegation in Valjevo.

The Czech company is interested in purchasing raspberries and plums from the Valjevo area. They are already working with farmers from villages in the vicinity of Cacak and Subotica in Serbia, who supply them with plums and watermelons. The recently formed company Agrorazvoj-valjevske doline will be a partner to foreign companies.

- We are interested in growing the Polish raspberry Polka in greenhouses, in which we plan to invest up to EUR 100,000 - says Jan Hnilica of Czerozfrucht.

Privatization

- Privatizaation of Srbijanka was a catastrophe. A half of the assets of the previous company got "lost". For example, cisterns - there were three listed in the privatization documentation and Nova Srbijanka took them all, and that is the subject of litigation with the former public company Srbijanka - says Jeremic.