In 2015, a total of 68 producers from Croatian islands received a special “Croatian Island Product” certificate for 111 of their products and product lines. At a ceremony held in Bol on the island of Brač, the certificates were officially presented to them by Branko Grčić, deputy prime minister and minister of regional development and EU funds, reports Poslovni.hr on October 25, 2015.
“The one who buys your products is a lucky person, because he or she knows they are getting something which is original, traditional, and good quality. We are going to continue to firmly stand behind you and help you anyway we can. I hope that this ‘Croatian Island Product’ certificate will be an incentive for you to continue to work hard in the future as well”, Grčić said while congratulating the recipients.
Since 2007, when the certificate was introduced, it has been received by a total of 219 island producers, including 18 organic farmers and 25 producers of products with protected geographical origin, for a total of 628 products and 23 product lines coming from 23 Croatian islands (Brač, Hvar, Vis, Korčula, Pag, Hvar, Krk, Lastovo, Dugi Otok, Rab, Cres, Lošinj, Prvić, Ugljan, Mljet, Šolta, Žirje, Pašman, Iž, Murter, Olib, Kornat, Rava and Silba), as well as from the Pelješac peninsula.
Deputy prime minister Branko Grčić said that the state invests in the islands about 1.5 billion kuna a year. “We have increased investments in the islands even during the last few years which have been marked by crisis and recession. The investments give greatest results when we focus on a particular region, a particular area with all of its specific features”, Grčić said and pointed out that one of the goals of the “Croatian Island Product” initiative is for people to stay living on the islands and to be able to find good jobs.
