Croatia’s horticultural sector is beset by challenges including lack of know-how in modern production techniques, and fragmentation of production.

Fruit and vegetable value chains rely largely on the country’s small-scale producers, but many of those producers lack the financing to upgrade their operations and struggle to supply processors and retailers with a reliable flow of high-quality produce. Producers are generally left to market their goods by themselves, without much leverage to negotiate a good price.

As part of the effort, Wageningen University will also cooperate with the Croatian Young Farmers Association to identify market opportunities and success factors for high-potential fruit and vegetables. This will be based on an assessment of the fruit and vegetable market in Croatia conducted by the University.