Due to climate change, we will have to invest more in R&D

Zagreb, September 27, 2023 - What do climate changes bring to agriculture and how to adapt to them, how do employees contribute to the success of Enna Fruit, and what are the biggest challenges of operating in multiple markets? These were some of the questions answered by Sanja Burić, CEO of Enna Fruit, at the Agro Summit, an agriculture conference organized by Poslovni dnevnik.

Burić highlighted that the company's success is partly due to employees feeling good within the company. "We have managed to create an encouraging and creative environment that employees appreciate," said Burić, and cited another important factor: the fact that they have managed to gain the trust of manufacturers and, in just a few years, establish cooperation with more than a thousand of them.

Broad collaboration also brings its challenges, primarily the issue of quality alignment.

“Each shopping center and all our customers have prescribed quality standards, and when you collaborate with many small fruit and vegetable growers, it is challenging to meet all the prescribed standards for the food to end up on the shelves. These challenges include communication, monitoring the technological level of the manufacturer. Furthermore, we must also be their administrative and advisory support," highlighted Burić, who also commented on doing business in multiple markets. Namely, ENNA Fruit cooperates with retail chains in Serbia, BiH, Slovenia and, of course, Croatia. They also export to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, and even to Oman, and the Middle East.

"The advantage is that in every country where we operate, we are focused on organizing production with our producers," explained Burić, noting that the wide distribution brings Enna Fruit advantages such as a broad range of products and their availability.

One of the key challenges in "outdoor production" is the impact of climate change. In order to respond effectively to this challenge, it will be necessary, as emphasized by the CEO of ENNA Fruit, to invest in research and development so that producers can adapt and shift focus to varieties that will be resilient to climate change. Additionally, a shift towards controlled production will be necessary, and certainly a significant support for these investments will be available through European Union funds.

You can read more about the Agro Summit conference at Poslovni.hr.