Since the beginning of blueberry production, the industry in Serbia has grown steadily, seeking to position the country as one of Europe’s leading producers of this fruit.
Šabac, in the western part of the country, has established itself as one of the most prominent areas for cultivation. In this region, the company First Blueberry d.o.o. began operations in 2014 and currently has 45 hectares in production.
Dejan Djusic, the company’s General Manager, told Blueberries News: “Production in Serbia runs from week 23 to week 27. Most of the volume is concentrated within that period.”
According to him, the strong production concentration is due to the predominance of the Duke variety, which represents about 95% of the planted area. “We don’t have a long season; it’s very short, lasting between four and five weeks. For this campaign, based on the current situation, we will start in week 23,” he explained.
To extend the shelf life of fresh fruit, the company applies strict postharvest protocols.
Blueberries are stored in cold rooms just 30 minutes after harvest. They are then transferred to cooling facilities, where they are palletized, weighed, and subjected to a three-hour forced-air cooling process at temperatures between 1.0 and 2.0 °C, using mobile pre-coolers. The following day, the fruit is ready to be loaded onto refrigerated trucks and shipped to destination.
Focus on the European market
Most Serbian blueberries are exported to European Union countries, primarily to the Netherlands, which is considered the main hub for fresh fruit trade in Europe and one of the most important worldwide.
“Some quantities are also shipped to the United Kingdom and Germany. A portion of the volume goes to Russia, although in the past two or three years those exports have declined, as countries closer to Russia have started producing blueberries,” Djusic noted.
Climate: opportunities and challenges
Serbia has a moderate climate, with cold winters and warm summers—conditions that are favorable for high-chill varieties.
First Blueberry’s orchards are protected with anti-hail nets and are equipped with drip irrigation systems. Nutrition is managed through computer-controlled fertigation, allowing for precise crop management.
However, climate change represents a growing challenge. “As we can all see around the world, the climate has changed over the past five to ten years, and this influences blueberry production,” Djusic stated.
According to him, temperatures have risen progressively. While heat has not had a significant impact so far, low temperatures can be critical. “If frost occurs at certain production stages, the entire crop can be lost,” he warned.
This winter in Serbia was cold and snowy, a traditional condition in the country. “However, over the past five or six years, snow accumulation has been lower due to rising temperatures. Climate is definitely changing worldwide, and it is very important for blueberry production,” he stated.
