The Mayor of Kragujevac, Nikola Dašić, organized a reception for a group of 35 farmers from the city area who participated in a study visit to the Republic of Slovenia from October 22 to 26. The visit was carried out in cooperation with the City of Kragujevac, the "Gružan Tourist Network" Association from Grbica, and the Slovenian Cooperative Union, with the aim of exchanging experiences, learning about best practices, and promoting cooperative farming.
This study visit to Slovenia was very significant, content-rich, and useful for the further development of local agriculture, according to Mayor Nikola Dašić. Our farmers had the opportunity to see how similar activities are carried out in an EU country. It is important for our people in agriculture, just like in any other field, to keep up with modern trends and acquire new knowledge and experiences, Dašić emphasized.
He added that the visit provided numerous association representatives with the opportunity to see good practices that could be applied in our region. I hope that the associations will continue to develop, expand their membership, and strengthen cooperation. Without cooperation and a joint approach - both to the market and to institutions - it is difficult to achieve much at an individual level. The City of Kragujevac strongly supports cooperation and will continue to support our farmers, the Mayor stated. According to him, it is encouraging that the participants of the visit noted that in some aspects of agricultural production, Šumadija performs even better than Slovenia. This was not the case a decade ago, which is why today we are even more motivated to support the initiatives of our farmers to unite, progress, and improve their production, concluded Dašić.
Dr. Snežana Živanović Katić, member of the City Council for Balanced and Sustainable Development of the City and Village, highlighted that the visit was exceptionally educational, as they visited one of the oldest cooperatives in Slovenia, with its own production, collection stations, and processing capacities. It was especially interesting to see the production of apple flour, vinegar, and dried apples. The experiences we gained will be invaluable for improving the work of our farmers and cooperatives, emphasized Dr. Živanović Katić.
In line with the United Nations initiative, which declared 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives, the visit focused on the topic of cooperatives. Participants included fruit growers from the "Šumadija Plum Days" event, as well as representatives from associations and local communities that throughout the year organized events dedicated to preserving and promoting the rural traditions and agriculture of Šumadija: the "Šumadijski Opanak" Association, the "Zavičaj" Association of Mowers and Tradition Keepers, the "Šumadija" Cattle Breeders' Association, and representatives of local communities from Novi Milanovac, Velike Pčelice, and Resnik - winners of the "Šumadija Winter Games" and organizers of the "Trojički Sabor" and "Pasuljijada."
During their stay in Slovenia, the Kragujevac farmers visited the "Lesce" cooperative, the "Resje" fruit plantations, farms, and the Beekeeping Center, where they had the chance to learn about models of modern production organization, the use of new technologies, and the economic advantages of cooperative farming. As a result of the established cooperation, Kragujevac will host a conference on cooperatives in April or May next year, with the participation of representatives from the "Lesce" cooperative from Slovenia.
