The Belje greenhouse in Mitrovac, with an area of 4.5 hectares and 126,000 plants, is one of the main producers of tomatoes in Croatia. Thanks to hydroponic cultivation and an ideal location in the centre of Baranja that provides a large amount of sunshine, Belje produces delicious tomatoes eight months a year, from late March to late November.
Tomato production in Belje started nine years ago, and the Mitrovac agricultural complex, in addition to the greenhouse, also includes the largest dairy farm of 2,000 head and a 2MW biogas power plant. All this is perfectly complemented and the preconditions are created for successful milk production, electricity production and tomato growing.
"When we have our own food production, we are more resistant to the major disruptions we have been facing in the last few years. Today, consumers simply think differently about food and its origin and certainly prefer homemade and fresh products. At the moment, Croatia meets less than half of its tomato needs, so our production is an important contribution to supplying the population with high-quality grapolo, beef and cherry tomatoes that we grow in Mitrovica. "- said Tihomir Adam, President of Belje Plus.
"We are extremely satisfied with the quality and taste of the first fruits, which will be on the shelves of retail chains across the country in a day or two. We pick only ripe tomatoes that are shipped to stores on the same day, because we neither need nor have storage space in the greenhouse. This is our advantage, domestic production of tomatoes that are ripe harvested and reach customers fresh and tasty. "- said Robert Marković, manager of the greenhouse Mitrovac.
For the cultivation of tomatoes, biological protection is used without any use of pesticides, and the top results are especially due to the bumblebees that circle the greenhouse and pollinate the plants every day. The greenhouse has 48 employees who harvested 2,600 tons of tomatoes last year, which is expected this year as well.
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