Aug 17, 2021
Here are the seven years behind us after we offered virtual office services to our young market, but we have a feeling like we started sometime yesterday. We needed to stop and think deeper to turn back our perspective on a couple of years long history. And now, during our thinking about the past period of time, during collecting all the memories, remembering all interesting moments and the clients that we had we realized that we could add new, additional value to our present clients. We decided, in this manner, to spread the word about each of them, that their stories, whether they are already heard or not, be louder with us. We are those who know them the best, each of them, we know what they do, we know how big and hard work they invest into everyday market battle wins, we are their extended hand so each success of theirs practically is the success of ours.
The first story brings us to the area under Kozara mountain, to the Donji Podgradci village, to Dojčinović family who are for the decades in the fruit growing business but who did not, before Mihajlo and his wife Gordana, had rounded process to offer to the market much more than table fruit. Today they have it under the Fruit Organica brand. They have an orchard with a lot of different fruit types, but also they do fruit processing. We spoke with Mihajlo, the owner and the CEO of the company Agro Nektar ltd. He told us how they started, how the situation today is, and what the plans for the future are.
V: Mihajlo, tell us, briefly, what Agro Nektar is?
M.D.
Agro Nektar is a family company founded with the goal to employ the members of the family and to turn all our ideas into action.
V: Truly, with all those artificial imported products, it is nice that you are offering domestic natural juices to the market. How did your story begin?
M.D.
Our story has been starting by our parents more than 4 decades ago. We are now printing new pages and we went over half of the book, which is very important. An unregulated market for fresh agricultural fruits is the main reason why we decided on fruit processing. Instead of raw fruit from the trees now we offer the same fruit but in the liquid state, with an expiration date of 2-3 years.
V: How do consumers react to your products? The fact is that you offer 100% squeezed fruit and vegetable juices which are rare in the stores.
M.D.
The purchasing power of citizens is weak and, unfortunately, they have to buy what the budget allows them. During this time, since we have been working and since we have been present on the market, we have not encountered a negative comment. A lot of consumers use our juices to improve their blood count, for example with our well-known "carrot, beet, apple and lemon" juice. We are glad that people who buy our products know what they are buying and that they trust us.
V: Do you offer any other products besides juices?
M.D.
Our main activity is fruit production, and our story is conceived in 3 directions. One-third of the fruit is in extra class and is intended for sale as fresh fruit. The other third is intended for juices, and the remaining third is for the production of fruit brandies and liqueurs. So we have 3 productions: fresh fruit, natural fruit juices, with which we make apple jam and a few more spreads, while the third production consists of fruit brandies and liqueurs.
V: What are your plans for the near and further future?
M.D.
Our plan in the next two years is to certify production, because we also have plantations under organic production, and to separate those two productions. We plan to buy newer equipment and if everything goes as planned, expand the capacity. In the fall, we will start renewing the orchards. Every autumn we plan to plant 1 hectare with new varieties.
V: Since you have your own fruit plantations, tell us, is it worth working in agriculture? What would be your advice for young farmers?
M.D.
Unfortunately, work in agriculture is less and less appreciated, regardless of the fact that we do production, which has no alternative. We produce food, it cannot be made by a CNC machine, work online, etc. It can be survived only with a rounded cycle. Honestly, I don't know what to say to young people, they have to work and they should not just aspire to go to work in the EU. They need to try, come up with new products and they will survive.
V: And questions for the end, are you satisfied with our services and what would you list as the biggest benefit you have through doing business within a virtual office?
M.D.
We are very satisfied with your services - what we were seeking for, that we got. As an additional benefit, I single out your help with every step concerning administration and paperwork with institutions, but what I would especially like to commend is that you also recognized the quality of our products and that you try to recommend them to the wider market through personal and business contacts. Thank you! Every recommendation comes from our side for you and your work.
The Dojčinović family is a shining example of people who stayed in and on their land and who were aware that they had to roll up their sleeves in order to live in accordance with the land rules. The land is asking for a lot, but when you give it a lot then it returns even more. If you are lucky enough to incorporate new ideas, positive energy, and good people with the land, then you can say that you have discovered the life formula. That is the case with our Dojčinovićs, thank them for their time.
This was the first in a series of interviews we made with our clients. Our goal is to bring to a wider audience example of people who have directed their ideas and work towards creating new values through their own businesses and to show how, with perseverance and persistence, something still can be achieved in our market. The series is designed to be of an affirmative character, to keep young people's faith in their own ideas and to encourage them to take action in their realization. We bring a new story soon.
On this link, you can find all sweet products of Fruit Organica:
https://fruit-organica.com/proizvodi/
