Close
   Home / In Croatia we work on / Local Development / LIFE news and events
LOVINAC, 20 June 2008

Lika's traditional food products taste store „Pola-pola" opened in Lovinac

At this year's 6th edition of LIKA IN FOCUS event, agricultural cooperative "Lovinac" opened its brand new taste store of Lika's traditional food products, "Pola-pola" (Half-half) – named after a traditional local potato specialty dish. The project was implemented thanks to financial support of the Ministry of Tourism, Municipality of Lovinac and UNDP support from by Dutch government's funds.

 Opening the new store, the manager of the cooperative, Nikola Vidaković said: "Purpose of this facility is to promote food tasting and selling of local products that represent a long tradition of Lika's gastronomy and culture. We are convinced that "Pola-pola" will be yet another reason for visitors to come to this part of Lika and get to know the wide range of its traditional products and souvenirs".

In the newly opened store the visitors can taste and purchase local food products and other traditional products of Lika region, such as: roasted potato halves (Croatian "pole"), cheese and fermented milk, local made brandies and herbal liquors, bitters, herbal teas, honey etc. This initiative will enrich the tourist offer and strengthen the production and trade of Lika's local products.

"The fact that the products presented here, primarily come from diligent local associations with large membership of mainly women, is especially valuable. Along with associations, cooperatives and family farms are also represented as producers" explained UNDP LIFE project manager, Ivana Laginja. "As well as other UNDP projects, this one too, is implemented in partnership with relevant state bodies, in this case Ministry of Tourism, so as to achieve a synergic effect in supporting the local community development."

Total value of the project is 400.000 HRK (Cca 80.000 USD), where 150.000 HRK was funded from the Ministry of Tourism and UNDP supplied 250.000HRK from the funds of LIFE project. The funds were used for financing of building facade r

estoration and setting up of traditional style taste hall, as well as renovation of the roof, sanitary facilities and front terrace.

***

ON AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE "LOVINAC"

Agricultural Cooperative „Lovinac" was founded in 2001 gathering 20 potato producers from the wider Lika region. Their joint production quantities reached 1000 tones in 2007 and their aim is to increase the production for another 300 tones in 2008. The Cooperative initiated a process of branding Lika potato ("Licki krumpir s Brizina") and in 2007 the cooperative purchased a warehouse in Gospić (capacity 2500t). The largest national food-shop chain KONZUM and Agricultural Cooperative „Lovinac" signed a letter of intention on the acquisition total produced potato production (amounting to 3000t per year),


back »