TİKA Provides Equipment to Olive Growers in Montenegro

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided harvesting equipment to olive growers’ associations operating in Bar and Ulcinj in southern Montenegro.

In Montenegro, TİKA has been supporting olive and olive oil production, which has a major place in agricultural production in the country, since 2010, as part of its “Support Program for Food Security and Life Safety in the Balkans and Eastern European Countries.” 70 olive growers and olive oil producers had previously participated in the theoretical and applied training courses on Pruning, Fertilizing, and Disease and Pest Control held by TİKA in Bar and Ulcinj in March 2020 in this context.

As part of the same project, TİKA provided a total of 23 sets of harvesters, batteries, and chargers to the trainees, including 11 sets to members of the Association of Olive Growers of Bar and 12 sets to members of the Association of Olive Growers of Ulcinj.

The pieces of equipment provided to members of the Association of Olive Growers of Bar were delivered at a ceremony held at the Islamic Cultural Center of Bar, the construction of which was completed with TİKA’s support. The delivery ceremony was attended by Omer Bajraktari, Mayor of Ulcinj; İbrahim Duraku, President of the Association of Olive Growers of Ulcinj; and Abdurrahman S. Toprak, TİKA’s Coordinator in Montenegro.

Ćazim Alković, President of the Association of Olive Growers of Bar, delivered a speech at the ceremony and noted that olive yield is low in Bar as traditional harvesting methods are used, and that the harvesters will greatly benefit all members of the association since food security is now crucial. Alković thanked TİKA for bringing members of the Association together as part of the project.

Abdurrahman S. Toprak, TİKA’s Coordinator in Montenegro, stated that TİKA has carried out nearly 450 projects and activities and attached great importance to the agricultural sector in Montenegro since 2007. Toprak noted that they aimed to contribute to increasing olive yield in the region by making these 11 harvesters available to all members of the association.

Omer Bajraktari, Mayor of Ulcinj, thanked TİKA for its long-term cooperation and noted that he will strive to deepen their cooperation with TİKA during his time in office. Bajraktari added that the municipality devoted great effort to making Ulcinj not only a touristic city, but also an agricultural production hub. He said that he hoped the harvesters would bring good luck to olive growers who have been supported.

TİKA attaches great importance to agricultural development in its development cooperation activities in Montenegro. The Agency has supported more than 2000 farmers through its projects for greenhouse vegetable production, beekeeping, the building of raspberry farms, olive cultivation and olive oil production, the donation of agricultural equipment and fruit tree saplings, and training.