As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, when Ivana Dobranic met her husband, there were no cattle on his family’s estate in Duzica near Sisak, but there were some cabbages. Now, with a laugh, she can readily admit that their blossoming relationship was a plus for her eventual husband at the beginning because she came from a farming family. Fast forward a few years, and today, together through OPG Dobranic, they produce cabbage, cereals and are also engaged in pig breeding.
The field where cabbage grows isn’t far from the Dobranic family house, and at this time when cabbage is for picking, Ivana’s day begins with that job, and continues with sales carried out on the doorstep.
“I don’t need to sell to retail chains, everyone knows about us and they come to our house,” says OPG Dobranic’s proud owner.
The family home remained intact even following the devastating earthquake which struck this part of Central Croatia back at the very end of pandemic-dominated 2020, but the barn unfortunately now has visible damage. Nevertheless, the machines she procured thanks to a measure for young farmers a few years ago remained in operation throughout.
“Those 50,000 euros were a kind of turning point for, it was an either go on or give up kind of moment. We could no longer work with the old equipment we used to have. Fortunately, the SIMORA Development Agency recognised the difficulties we were facing in our work, applied us for the tender and soon we’ll soon have another successful harvest, which we owe a great deal to quality equipment,” Ivana explained.
Ivana is a very experienced farmer who knows that growing food is not so easy today, she is especially worried about climate change that brings reduced yields, and there are no solutions globally to that issue as yet. But, no matter how difficult things can become, the positive end of the season is her motive to continue, and at the same time she points out that optimism in agriculture pays off.
“Be optimistic in the opinion that you can create something with your own hands, even when something isn’t really going well, be optimistic that it will still get better. When you apply for tenders and when you want money from European Union (EU) funds, be optimistic,” concluded Ivana Dobranic.
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