Lettuce and flowers - Grow Rasad in Irig started growing pansies

eKapija web portal will again this year present Aurea awards to the best investors in 2010 in late March. As the new cycle is nearing, we have visited the companies whose projects were shortlisted for last year's awards to see how far they have gone with the development of their businesses.

Thanks to Grow Rasad's system for growing plants in hydroponic conditions, uprooted lettuce, which has "shyly" appeared in the market, has become a product in high demand in Serbia and abroad.

Andjelko Miskovic, the Director of Grow Rasad, says in a statement for eKapija that he is very satisfied with the uprooted lettuce sales and reveals that the company also started growing pansy flowers this year.

- This lettuce is specific because it is grown hydroponically and put in a special bag to be offered to the market along with its root - says Miskovic.

Our interlocutor explains that this lettuce is grown in the conditions of a closed hydroponics system in an open field spanning 2.5 ha. The system's main characteristic is that water rich in nutrients constantly flows within the system.

- Namely, in order for a plant to be nourished and watered, water first enters the system of beds on which peat cubes with lettuce are placed and then flows through underground pipes to a reservoir where it is pumped to the place where new water and nutrients are added - Miskovic explains.

Another characteristic of the hydroponics system is continuous computer control of water's chemical contents and determination of the necessary quantity on the basis of the intensity of light.

Lettuce stays in such production system for maximum 40 days, after which it is sent to market along with its root. This method of production ensures a long life and preservation of quality because it makes it possible for the product to stay fresh for up to 10 days.

Miskovic says that the system in the open field was put in operation in late 2010 and that commercial production should gain momentum soon.

- In that way, Grow Rasad will make the cycle complete and deliver lettuce to all interested buyers during the whole year - says Miskovic.

He stresses that people at Grow Rasad have managed to enhance the quality and increase the volume of production in one year.

- Our nurseries span 2.5 ha and produce 150,000 pieces of lettuce a month, that is, about 5,000 pieces a day. This is a great success when we have in mind that only 1,000 pieces of lettuce a day was produced one year ago.

Pansy

In addition to various types of lettuce and seedlings in its product portfolio, Grow Rasad also started producing pansy flowers this year.

- We have decided to take this step to avoid a "time gap" between the period when we grow lettuce and the period when seedlings are grown. Pansy flowers can be grown in all climates and we will grow these flowers in the period between July and October - Miskovic states.

As our interlocutor explains, the result of the first delivery was outstanding. The whole production of about 250,000 seedlings was sold, mainly to local flower shops.

When it comes to the company's plans, Miskovic says that Grow Rasad's priority is to become dominant in the market of Serbia since the production capacities of other companies are far below the competitive level. But does that mean that the company has no plans to expand to foreign markets.

- Grow Rasad now exports a large share of the production so that the renewal of cooperation with foreign partners and the penetration of foreign markets are part of of our development strategy. For example, our company exports celery seedlings to Austria for the third consecutive year and this year's export is 15% larger than the one in the previous year - our interlocutor explains.

In the end, Miskovic says that finding new partners abroad is a key to the success of Serbian agriculture and adds that flawless quality, quantity and packaging are necessary for such buyers.

N.I.