TİKA Set up an Organic Fruit Juice Production Line in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) set up an organic fruit juice production line in Pinar General Cooperative, operating in Žepče, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Pinar General Cooperative was established in 2016 in Žepče in the Zenica-Doboj Canton. Currently, the cooperative has 32 members. As part of the project implemented by TİKA, an organic fruit juice production line was set up to increase the production capacity of the cooperative to 200 to 250 tonnes per season, to ensure that the production system of the cooperative meets the standards of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), and to allow it to provide better quality services.

The opening ceremony held for the production line was attended by Zijad Čamdžić, Director of Pinar General Cooperative; Muhammed Ünal, TİKA’s Program Coordinator in Sarajevo; members of the cooperative; and local producers. Zijad Čamdžić thanked for the support provided, saying that they could only process 3 or 4 different types of fruit using their own basic equipment, but that they now have the capacity to extract juice from almost all fruits and vegetables, thanks to the production line set up by TİKA. Čamdžić added that they could not meet modern production standards as they carried out their operations manually, but that they will now produce organic juice through a zero-touch process and increase their exports, thanks to the production line. Čamdžić ended his speech by thanking Türkiye for the support it provided through TİKA.

Muhammed Ünal, TİKA’s Program Coordinator in Sarajevo, noted that they provided continuous support for the national economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina by contributing to the processing of natural native crops. He said he was happy that the production line will ensure the safe and healthy delivery of fruits and vegetables to be processed in accordance with the standards of HACCP to end consumers both in the domestic market and in international markets. He added that TİKA has always focused on production and aimed to contribute to increasing the production capacity of small- and medium-sized producers by uncovering local potential.