Mercator Retail Chain to Sell Local Small Farm Produce

“The first thing he asked me was, ‘Are we going to do business?’ and I said- sure!“  That's how the President of the Cooperative Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Mr. Esed Muhić, described his first exchange with the Mercator country director, Mr. Haris Kuskunović.  Their significant exchange marked a turning point for some 10,000 farmers in Bosnia and Herzegovina grouped around agricultural cooperatives.  

For the first time since the country's independence, small producers of fruits and vegetables in BiH worked in union to gain access to shelves of Mercator, the largest South-Eastern Europe supermarket chain. This opportunity is the result of a collaborative effort between The Fostering Agricultural Markets Activity (FARMA) project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and Swedish International Development Agency, and the Cooperative Association of the Federation BiH. Together, USAID/Sida FARMA and the Cooperative Association worked intensively to design and develop “Our Garden“(“Naša bašta“), an initiative aimed at establishing successful business relations between individual fruits and vegetables producers and  Mercator.

USAID/Sida FARMA worked intensively with the Cooperative Association of the Federation BiH and their member cooperatives to ensure compliance with the product quality and quantity demands set by Mercator, as well as to improve their product marketing. USAID/Sida FARMA will now begin implementing a set of additional activities designed to assist selected cooperatives to improve the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables, with the ultimate goal of placing local fruits and vegetables not only in all Mercator stores in BiH, but throughout the region.  

With the implementation of the “Our Garden” project, the 10,000 individual cooperative members and their families will jointly benefit from having the opportunity to sell their produce in 11 Mercator supermarkets in BiH and increase their income. “This is the first time that 10,000 small farmers organized to get their products into Mercator centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their farms may be small individually, but just imagine how large would the farm be if we could combine 10,000 individual plots! Well, that’s “Our Garden”- made of small pieces but still the largest garden in the world,” said Mr. Muhić while signing the contract.

ACHIEVEMENTS IN  WOOD PROCESSING

USAID/BiH and the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency (Sida) supported the joint exhibition of BiH wood processors at INTERIO 2011, the most important trade fair of the year for the wood industry in BiH.  Through the Fostering Interventions for Rapid Market Advancement (FIRMA) project, USAID/BiH and Sida supported a joint “Tradition for Future” stand.  The stand consisted of high-quality furniture and other products made from wood, and was presented in a 510-m2 integrated apartment setting.  FIRMA supported the exhibition of 14 companies at this fair.  FIRMA is joint project between USAID and Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) that supports economic development and increases employment in the wood processing, tourism, and light manufacturing sectors.

The Excellence in Innovation Project, funded by USAID and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, supports ARTECO Technology Center, which recently won three prestigious awards at Cologne’s International Furniture Fair. This is the first time in the history of this fair that one company won three awards in one year.

CERTIFICATES TO SEVENTEEN GRADUATED  SOMMELIERS

Mission Director Allan Reed met with the 17 participants who successfully completed the USAID and Sida funded sommelier’s course in Medjugorje on March 7.  This course took place in Herzegovina, well-known for fine wines along the Herzegovina Wine Route, and was supported by USAID/BiH’s FIRMA project.  Twenty young professionals learned the fine skills of serving wine, and seventeen passed the final exam.  These sommeliers will be employed in Herzegovina’s leading hotels and restaurants and will increase the overall level of service of the venues

USG SUPPORTS RELEASED PERSONNEL OF BiH ARMED FORCES

The U.S. Ambassador to BiH Patrick Moon visited the Regional Resettlement Center for Discharged Soldiers in Sarajevo, which the USG, through USAID, supports in conjunction with a NATO multi-donor effort. The purpose of the program is to facilitate the resettlement into civilian and economic life of up to 3,320 soldiers who will be discharged from 2010-2012 as a result of the Law on Service which limits to 35 years the age for active service.  The USG provides $2.1 million for this soldiers reintegration program.  In partnership with the Ministry of Defence of BiH (MoD), the project helps BiH to address some of the direct socio-economic consequences of the defence reform and downsizing.  USAID’s support provides assistance for education, vocational counselling and training, referrals, and tool kits/equipment for employment or self-employment.