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Navip goes natural.
Navip is the biggest exporter of wine in the former Yugoslavia, with
operations throughout the country. Today it continues to harvest some 2,000
hectares of vineyards, producing over two million tons of wine yearly.
With no exports since 1991 because of sanctions, however, tough economics
gave rise to environmental protection coupled with high quality as a
marketing idea, and bio-wine. Bio-wine work started in 1994, but it was
difficult to convince Navip to try the new idea, said Navip employee Vesna
Robotic, because conventional pesticides had to be replaced by something.
That something became organic sprays, produced by Subotica-based Biolabor,
which they tested on one hectare of grapes.
"The grapes were excellent," said Robotic. And they were mould-free, unlike
conventionally grown grapes. But more work and costs were involved, as
organic protection needed application seven times compared with only three
times for conventional. In 1995, bad weather increased the number of
applications to 11 times. Nonetheless, after inspections by the Terra's
Natural Food Association, Navip went on to make 5,000 litres of white dry
Riesling wine. Fears held that the taste would be affected by ingredients,
such as onions, in the natural sprays, but fears proved wrong. The 5,000
litres sold out at double the price of conventional wine.
With three hectares now in organic conversion, Navip will have 90,000 litres
of bio-wine soon and 180,000 litres next year. As for the IFOAM conference
held in Subotica this summer, "it was nice to meet up with fellow
Yugoslavian colleagues again," said Robotic.
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