In the national "House of Olives", a joint project of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Municipality of Bar, the processing of Montenegrin olives, storage, packaging and distribution of olive oil has not yet begun.
Despite the plans, there is nothing to introduce 2.000 bottles of oil in retail chains, restaurants and hotels throughout Montenegro.
All this was supposed to happen this year, according to the Plan for the management of the "Olive House" for a period of five years, i.e. from 2024 to 2029. The plan was adopted by the Bar councilors in December last year, together with the Decision on the formation of a local company. House of Olives" LLC.
According to the agreement of the Ministry of Agriculture, which is managed by the minister Vladimir Jokovic, and the Municipality of Bar, headed by the president Dušan Raičević, it is planned that the "Olive House" will be managed by the local administration.
Equipment is missing
The local bar company "Vijesta" was told that "Kuća maslina" will operate at full capacity when the equipment for processing, packaging and storing olive oil in the machine plant is acquired.
"After the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management informed us that one half of the financial resources necessary for the purchase of equipment will be planned through an adequate agricultural budget line for the year 2025 (and based on the negative opinion of the Ministry of Finance which was issued at the request of the line ministry for approval for the co-financing of the line for the production of olive oil), the Municipality of Bar recognized the importance of acquiring the relevant equipment as soon as possible and expressed its readiness to provide money for this purpose from part of the capital budget for the year 2024, on which the whole team of experts is working dedicatedly and diligently", they said. are from the "House of Olives".
As previously announced, about 150.000 euros should be allocated for the procurement of equipment for assembly and installation of olive oil processing and packaging lines. It is planned to announce a tender for that equipment.
According to the Plan, it is necessary, as defined, to acquire an olive oil production line with a maximum capacity of 500 kg/h, a filter press, oil pumps, an olive oil packaging line (semi-automatic filler, capper, labeler), stainless steel vessels for storing olive oil oils, equipping the space for smooth work and functioning of employees, and equipping the sales hall.
In order for the "Kuće maslina" machinery plant to start operating, it is necessary to register the production plant in the Register of approved facilities for food production and other technical works, i.e. the issuance of a decision on the performance of olive oil production activities, with a prominent annual capacity, which is under the jurisdiction of the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs.
An ambitious plan
The bar company said that after the official registration in April 2024, in June they opened a sales and exhibition hall with more than 500 agricultural and food products and handmade souvenirs from natural materials, which "tell the stories of hard-working Montenegrin farmers and artisans , from south to north of our pearl of the Mediterranean".
"The reactions of olive growers, other agricultural producers, but also of all tourists and visitors are very positive, and every day they are more and more convinced of the fact that this is their home and the core of agriculture where all international standards are respected and whose quality can rival world centers in the area ecological agricultural production and sale of food products that promote the autochthonous riches of Montenegrin sofra", they said from "Kuća maslina".
According to the five-year plan, in this facility, in addition to the sale of olive oil, "Olive House" products, oils and other interested registered producers will be sold, whose oils and other agricultural and food products meet the necessary organoleptic and chemical criteria, as well as nutritional properties.
"In addition to olive oils, interested producers will be able to exhibit other products - olive oils with aromatic and medicinal herbs, table olives, olive wood souvenirs, sweet and savory cookies with olive oil, olive pastes, natural cosmetics based on olive oil, but also local products from other plant species of the coastal region (red and white wines, other alcoholic beverages, rosehip, citrus and other fruit juices, honey and bee products, dried and candied fruit, local delicacies, natural cosmetic preparations, meat and dairy processed foods, fish products, teas, etc.)", specified in the five-year plan.
It is planned to develop a tourist route that includes a visit to the "House of Olives" and product tasting, and the number of visits is projected at 2.000 this year, and at 2029 in 50.000.
It is planned that extra-virgin olive oil "Kuće maslina" will apply for the project of visual labeling of Montenegrin products "Good from Montenegro", which the Chamber of Commerce has been implementing since 2008, after the first season of olive processing.
"The registration of the trademark 'Dobro iz Crne Gore' will enable our new product to be marketed as successfully as possible on the domestic and foreign markets, to be competitive and to successfully compete with numerous imported products on the domestic market," the plan says.
The municipality of Bar has announced a tender for the interior design of the sales area and the conference hall in the "Olive House" facility in Stari Bar, the purchase of which has an estimated value of 95 euros without VAT.
According to data from the Government website for public procurement (CEJN), this tender has been completed.
A series of manifestations, the main one - the Olive Festival
The local company said that a number of interesting and important events await them this autumn in the "Olive House", which is "increasingly recognized as a perfect place that simultaneously pays tribute to the ambient whole of Stari Bar and promotes ecological values and sustainable development".
It is planned to celebrate the International Women's Day in the rural community, as well as the two-day celebration of the Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the municipality of Bar, during which Bar folk costumes will be presented, as well as local newspapers such as "Voice of Mrkojević", "Zupci Times" and "Spičanska slikovnica". ".
"Also, as part of this manifestation, a contribution will be made to preserving certain traditional speeches and customs from being forgotten. After that, there will be a forum called 'Women activists in Montenegro', and then 'Croatian Sofre Evening', during which prizes will be awarded for the best short stories about the olive tree," the local company said.
In cooperation with the Cultural Center Bar, a regional Festival of children's creativity and creativity for children "Meetings under the Old Olive Tree" will be organized, followed by a Hackathon competition for high school students in cooperation with the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center "Tehnopolis" and the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro.
As part of the International Olive Day, a round table with olive oil producers will be organized, as well as the premiere promotion of the film "Bubulj" production, entitled "Tastes of Culture". The central manifestation of the olive month in the "House of Olives" will be the XXII Olive Festival, the most significant agricultural and touristic manifestation in Montenegro....
At least he gives another 25 thousand euros
In the budget of the Municipality of Bar, 95.000 euros have been provided for the operation of the local company, while according to the rebalancing proposal, on which the public discussion has been completed, that figure has been increased to 120.000 euros.
"That is 26,32 percent more than the budget. This company applied for an increase in the subsidy because of the funds needed for the operation of the exhibition hall in the House of Olives, the maintenance of the Natural Monument: The Old Olive Tree on Mirovica and the costs incurred when putting the facility into operation," the budget rebalancing proposal says.
According to the five-year plan, the total revenue of the company is planned to be 120.000 euros, of which 95.000 is a subsidy from the municipality, and the rest from olive processing services, filling and sale of olive oil, organization of events and tourist visits.
"Vijesti" asked how many systematized jobs there are in this company and how many workers have been employed so far, as well as what the expenses have been so far and what the money was spent on.
"The first report on the company's work will be submitted in a timely manner to the competent secretariat of the local administration, and then sent to the local parliament for adoption, when you will have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with all the other details in financial operations and management", was the answer from the "Olive House" .
In the five-year Plan, it is explained that a local company founded by the Municipality can be profitable from the third year of operation.
Revenue of 337.000 euros is planned for the third year of operation.
Bonus video:
