Serbian seedling producer Ned Boske has a growing demand for blackberry seedlings. At the same time, the production of apple, plum, and cherry seedlings is increasing.
As Aleksandar Jovanovic, representative of Ned Boske nursery notes in a comment to EastFruit, after the breakup of Yugoslavia, grafted grape production in Serbia fell from 45 million to 1 million in 2003. In recent years, the production of seedlings has grown again, but of new products such as apple seedlings, which are increasingly chosen by growers due to short harvest times, good profits, and low amounts of pesticides required for cultivation.
Having started in 1995 with just 2 hectares, Ned Boske is engaged in grafting, and propagating fruit trees for Serbian growers, and passing on its professional knowledge and experience from generation to generation.
Since the foundation of the enterprise, the area of the nursery has grown from 2 to 100 hectares. Along with the supply of seedlings, the company also provides cutting, waxing, and individual packaging for various markets.
“Now we export seedlings to more than 20 countries of the world,” says Alexander Yovanovitch.
According to a representative of Ned Boske, the company, together with Germany, is implementing a plan to establish a Tissue culture center in Serbia by the end of this year, (Tissue culture is a culture of living tissues taken from the body and placed in an appropriate environment with nutrition and oxygen supply needed for them).
“This will help spread our plants and will allow us to have enough trees available to meet the growing demand not only in our country but throughout the world,” the specialist explains.
Serbia has a good climate and quality soil for growing fruits, as well as a relatively cold winter, which greatly contributes to the elimination of serious pests.
“In addition to these factors for the propagation of excellent quality plant material, affordable prices also play a big role in the decision of fruit and vegetable producers to buy plants from Serbia.
We also involve other owners of top nurseries to entrust them with the rights to produce and sell new varieties in Serbia and the world,” says the expert.
According to Alexander Jovanovic, there are a lot of plums in Serbia, mainly for the production of the local world-famous alcoholic drink – rakia, and the production of prunes is increasing every year. Table grapes are also popular, but at the moment wine grapes hold the lead, thanks to large volumes of wine production. “We have a proven track record of successfully supplying and exporting rootstocks and grafted plants to other countries,” he notes.
In addition, the nursery is gradually increasing the production of apple and cherry seedlings.
Raspberry is the most popular berry, but demand for blackberries is also growing, the company is seeing a significant increase in the supply of blackberry seedlings to its customers in Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Russia. The most exported varieties are Loch Ness, Chester, and Triple Crown, which are sold fresh in local markets.
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