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EU Customers Buy Value Added Table Grapes from Peca Komerc
 Macedonia is a significant producer of fresh and processed horticulture-based
products because very favorable agro-climatic conditions exist for production
of a wide diversity of high quality fruits and vegetables. Understanding
horticultural products, knowing how they will perform during post harvest and
distribution activities, and appreciating the importance of using modern cold
chain management principles to deliver premium quality horticultural products
to export markets are key success factors for horticultural products value
chain participants. Significant opportunities exist to strengthen the
Macedonian horticulture industry and further develop market opportunities for
both fresh and value-added fruit and vegetable products. However, significant
improvements in postharvest handling of fresh produce will be necessary form
Macedonian fruit and vegetable exporters to be competitive.
 In the recent past many value chain participants were not aware of the
postharvest technologies that must be utilized to optimize the in-market
quality for their specific products. In the past year AgBiz has focused on
improving the marketed quality of Macedonian fresh produce so existing ex-
Yugoslav markets can be maintained, and new markets in the EU can be
developed. We are working with progressive fresh produce growers and
exporters who are committed to invest in their operations and methodologies
to increase standardization and delivered product quality, and enhance their
capacity to successfully enter new markets. Peca Komerc is one such AgBiz
customer.
Peca Komerc was awarded a $30,000 AgBiz grant for a project titled
“Establish a Modern Produce Packing Center”. Also, Peca Komerc
management has been a regular participant in AgBiz competitiveness
enhancement activities such as B2B Meetings in Poland, the Study Tour to
South Africa where they learned how to improve cooling and marketing of
table grapes, and the California Table Study Tour where new vine support
systems and root stock production techniques were learned. Most recently
Peca Komerc staff participated in a workshop and one-on-one consulting by a
US horticulture expert where recommendations were provided for proper use
of sulfur during pre-cooling and storage of produce, achieving proper
temperature and humidity control, managing, organizing and operating a cold
storage facility and using energy efficiently in post harvest processes.
AgBiz support contributed to Peca Komerc expanding into markets beyond
the Balkans by finding new customers in France, Poland and Holland. This
was achieved by Peca Komerc completing a new, fully equipped packing
center that includes digital intake scales, implementing the good production
and hygienic practices essential for exports, and implementing HACCP. The
new business enabled the company to increase their employment to 18
persons.
“Thanks to the experiences gained working closely with AgBiz, my company
is becoming more competitive in existing markets and has successfully
entered new markets, and all because we now better understand how to
preserve the original quality of our produce and achieve better prices”; said
Mr. Blashko Temov, owner of Peca Komerc.
Peca Komerc is one of four fresh fruits marketers out of the 20 Macedonian agribusinesses that received exportfocused business expansion project grants from USAID’s AgBiz Program.
AgBiz continues to support activities that
enhance the competiveness of Macedonian
fresh produce exporters via transferring knowledge and know-how from more
experienced countries to Macedonia. AgBiz
support to exporters at trade fairs, study
tours and B2B meetings is assisting
Macedonian agribusinesses to successfully
export their products during these difficult
times. We are also helping our customers to
access available sources of finance,
especially IPARD.
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