The construction of the centre is part of the Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem development programme and it is intended to improve the position of the dairy industry on the market, the Agriculture Ministry has reported.
The centre will enable better cooperation between milk producers, particularly small and medium-sized farms in Virovitica-Podravina County and a broader area of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem and will provide producers with an opportunity to produce dairy products in a technical-technological production plant," said Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic who attended the ceremony of the beginning of the construction of the facility.
The ministry explained that due to a series of problems that milk and dairy producers are faced with, this supporting institution has been established to help dairies to develop new production methods and quality products that will be competitive on the market.
The centre will spread over 1,500 square metres and will provide research and development services of new products from milk, sample production of new dairy products as requested by farmers and laboratory testing. The centre will also provide education and professional training courses for farmers and producers.
The centre is a project being implemented by Virovitica-Podravina County in partnership with the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Agronomy.
The value of the construction works is estimated at HRK 20.9 million and should be completed in 15 months' time.
(EUR 1 = HRK 7.4)