The agricultural and tourist event “Paradise Fest” is traditionally held at the end of July in Leban, a town on the banks of the Jablanica river. This event brings together the largest tomato growers from the municipality of Lebane, which is known for the production of early tomatoes. Farmers from Serbia, Bulgaria and North Macedonia show great interest in this event.
This year, more than 4.5 million tomatoes were planted on the fertile arable land of Leban, where the largest part of the plantings are greenhouses, while about 40% of tomatoes are grown outdoors, especially in the lower reaches of the Jablanica river in the direction of the Leskovac field.
Although this year’s purchase price of tomatoes is lower than expected, vegetable growers from Lebanon are trying to compensate for the costs by increasing the amount of planted vines. Vegetable grower Dragoljub from the vicinity of Leban points out that the situation would be better if the purchasing and processing capacity of the Industrial Zone in Leskovac was completed.
The event “Paradajz Fest – Lebane 2024” was officially opened in the central city square by the president of the municipality of Lebane, Ivan Bogdanović. He emphasized that this year, around 40 large regional tomato growers managed to secure their sales place on the square. Due to the extremely high interest in this year’s “Paradaj Fest”, President Bogdanović announced that next year it will be necessary to find a larger exhibition and sales space.
“Paradajz Fest” is still moving forward bravely
In addition to the main part of the event, additional events were held, such as the selection of the most beautiful tomato, the selection of the most beautiful stall, the tastiest salad and an old tomato dish. The culinary skills of local masters were evaluated by experts Saša Mišić from Belgrade and professor Dr. Ivan Zdravković from Leskovac.
For the second time in a row, the event was attended by growers of tomatoes and other early vegetables from the vicinity of Prilep. Farmers from Gornja Jablanica had the opportunity to hear the advice of experts from the Leskovac Agricultural Advisory Service – PSS. The event was also attended by representatives of the Chamber of Commerce from Hungary.
“Tomato Fest” in Lebanon represents an important opportunity for farmers to exchange experiences, improve their skills and promote their products. Also, this event contributes to the promotion of local culture and tradition, attracting visitors from different parts of the region and giving them the opportunity to enjoy the rich offer of tomatoes and other agricultural products. The organizers plan to expand the event in the future and provide even better infrastructure for exhibitors and visitors, which will make “Paradise Fest” an even bigger and more significant event for the entire region.
Source: Farmer
Source: boljazemlja.com
