The third MAXI national food festival was held

The third MAXI national food festival was held

At the third National Food Festival, the company Delez Serbia once again confirmed its commitment to cooperation with domestic producers and continuous support of local agriculture. The festival is held for the third year in a row in honor of more than 250 local suppliers with whom the MAXI trade chain cooperates, and from whom it bought over 58,000 tons of fruit and vegetables last year and sold them through supermarket chains. Special emphasis was placed on the MAXI aggregator project, which connects 140 smaller producers from Serbia and enables them to market their products throughout Serbia.

The ceremonial opening of the Festival in the Sava Center was attended by the President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, Minister of Economy Adrijana Mesarović, Minister of Agriculture Aleksandar Martinović, Minister of Internal and External Trade Tomislav Momirović, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Martajn Elhersma, as well as members of the Chamber of Commerce, academic communities, businessmen, local producers and partners of Delez Serbia.

30 farmers from all over Serbia, from the north of Vojvodina to the south of our country, exhibited their products at the Festival. On the colorful stalls you could find almost all the crops that grow all over Serbia – from peppers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, to beets, beans, eggplants, pumpkins, the most common varieties of apples and various berries. A special segment of the Food Festival was dedicated to sustainable development and projects that this trade chain implements with the Faculty of Agriculture and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade.

The general director of the Delez trade chain, Gorica Jovović, opened the Festival with thanks to the highest state leadership, which recognized the importance of this manifestation and today witnessed the most beautiful agricultural products coming from the fields of Serbia, and emphasized the importance of MAXI’s support to domestic producers and the local economy.

“The National Food Festival is dedicated to our farmers as a sign of gratitude for their efforts and long-term commitment to quality. Our goal is to import during the year only those crops that do not thrive in Serbia due to climatic conditions, while improving the quality of food through cooperation with scientific institutions. I am pleased that we will continue to cooperate with local suppliers in order to jointly offer even better and healthier products to the market, and I am especially happy when I see fruit and vegetables from small farmers on the shelves of MAXI, which are part of our offer thanks to the MAXI aggregator project,” she said. is Gorica Jovović.

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, also addressed those present:

“Today I am especially happy that I was able to see who these people are who produce food for our largest domestic retail chain. Deleuze Serbia managed to ensure the loyalty of producers and consumers with its strict criteria, as well as product quality, which is higher than in many countries of the world. At the same time, Deleuze is also the largest employer in Serbia and thanks to him twelve and a half thousand people have a secure future in their country. I wish you to continue to be the most successful in the coming decades, both for your sake and for the sake of all domestic suppliers who work hard every day to be able to deliver the best possible products”.

Awards for special contribution to sustainable business were also awarded at the Festival. This year, the recognition for the best practice in reducing food surpluses went to Pera Đuričkov Farm, which through responsible operations and product processing significantly reduced waste and contributed to local humanitarian organizations. The company “M-Đenić”, which is a leader in the implementation of innovative methods for safer food production, received recognition for the improvement of fruit production without pesticide residues. And recognition for its contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions by implementing the MAXI program “Without Pesticide Residues” was presented to the company Delta Agrar, which achieved outstanding success in this area thanks to continuous innovation and the application of the most modern technology in fruit production.

As the final part of the MAXI National Food Festival, the panel “Sustainable production for healthier people and the planet” was held. Nemanja Nenić, director of product quality and integrity and sustainable operations of the Delez Srbija company, Professor Dr. Dragan Šefer from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Professor Dr. Ilija Đekić from the Faculty of Agriculture and Vladica Mladenović, CEO of Superior Foods participated in the panel. Through the discussion, the key message was highlighted that the joint work of science, retailers and manufacturers is crucial for the long-term provision of healthier products for consumers and the preservation of the planet.

Source: BIZLife

Photo: Prorec production