Blueberries from Serbia are becoming increasingly popular, says a soft fruit exporter. Last season was successful for them, and the challenges brought by Covid forced them to improve their operation. The company now wants to launch a zero waste project.

Dejan Stajić, owner and founder of the Serbian soft fruit exporter Berry4U, says that they had a successful blueberry season last year: “We were very satisfied with the previous blueberry season. We put a lot of effort to make the last season more than successful. All the Covid-19 situations made us stronger, because we had to work harder, try harder to find harvest workers, transport workers and we had a lot more paperwork to do. We learned a lot and we continue to fight for the best results. The demand for Serbian blueberries is above our expectations. Our quality and timing of the harvest are putting Serbian blueberries at the top of the list.”

The markets to which Berry4U exported its blueberries have expanded over the last year, Stajić says. “Last year our blueberries came to Dubai via Germany, the Netherlands, England and Austria. We are now working hard to ensure that our product is marketed in France and Scandinavia. I firmly believe that we will also be successful in these markets.”

Berry4U's next step is to provide a product that is free of pesticide residues. “In our strategy of developing and monitoring trends through innovation, we planned to launch a zero residue project, where we would certify a certain part of the plantation as 'zero residue', that is, without pesticide residues. It is an increasingly popular type of production and the demand for products free of pesticide residues, and therefore guaranteeing health safety, is greater”.

Stajić has a positive outlook on the future of Serbian berries in general, based on his experience with his foreign partners: “We have high expectations for our fruits. Not just for blueberries, but for all the berries we grow and sell around the world. We achieve the best quality for our products thanks to a lot of dedication and hard work. Serbia is a country with a lot of fertile and quality land. It turned out that blueberries, like other berries, thrive in our soil, and that's where we see our potential. The demand for blueberries from Serbia is growing every year, as our foreign partners already know that our brand is synonymous with quality."