The dream of a kilo price of 1.20 Euro has shattered for Serbian growers. The deal made in 2012 between the union of Serbian Raspberry Growers and the Austrian company CWS Best Food GmbH is not going through, says union leader Dragis Terzic to the Serbian press agency Tanjug. The partnership was celebrated as a sensational success in March. The Austrians were going to sell 50.000 tons of fruit within the EU. But everything has now changed."The deal did not come through because the union didn't come through on their part of the bargain. Contracts were going to be signed with growers, which didn't happen," says CWS-manager Michael Wally to the Austrian newspaper the WirtschaftsBlaatt. Wally can only guess when it comes to the motives. According to Terzic, contracts for 5.000 tons of raspberries were closed, which was not enough. Due to the fluctuating weather a decline of 40 percent is expected for this year's harvest.
Serbia is one of the largest raspberry producers in the world. The dissatisfaction of the growers has been increasing with each year. They strike annually for more government support. They feel exploited by the owners of cold stores who offer them a low purchase price. With the establishment of the union last summer, Serbian raspberry growers would like to create better conditions, says Terzic.