Croatian agricultural company Podravka Agri, part of the wider Podravka Group known for its food and pharmaceutical products, has announced a significant expansion of its potato cultivation for the 2024 season. In a strategic move, the company plans to increase its planting area for processing potatoes to 77 hectares and for food-grade potatoes to 52 hectares. This represents a more than doubling of its table potato acreage and is part of a cooperation agreement with Kanaan, the country’s largest producer of chips and snacks. The entire crop will be grown on Podravka Agri’s fields in Belje, located in the eastern region of Baranja, an area chosen for its excellent soil quality and a recently installed irrigation system.
According to Željko Erceg, a member of the Podravka Agri management board, the proximity of the fields to Kanaan’s processing plant in Donji Miholjac is a key logistical advantage that will also support the broader development of eastern Croatia. Erceg expressed strong optimism for the upcoming harvest, noting that last year’s yield reached an impressive 55 tons per hectare. This figure, he highlighted, surpasses the average yields of the EU’s largest potato-producing nations, setting a high benchmark for future production and reinforcing the potential of this expanded agricultural partnership.
