Katuns preserve quality, but also hinder certification: Producers of Kolašin puff cheese face numerous challenges

Seven years ago, Kolašin puff cheese joined the list of Montenegrin products protected by a national quality mark. This was supposed to be the “green light” for producers to embark on the certification process, from which much was expected. However, since 2019, livestock farmers have faced numerous challenges, and certification has practically stagnated. Few producers manage to meet the strict requirements of this process.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, in 2019, Kolašin puff cheese was produced on more than 100 farms in the Kolašin and Mojkovac areas, and around 2.000 tons of this product are placed on the market annually. The protection with a quality label was supposed to bring it additional value and enable producers to earn higher incomes, as well as better valorization through the development of the tourist offer in northern Montenegro. However, the expected effects have not yet been achieved.

According to what the farmers told Vijesti, they are stuck in the phase of preparing the documentation for the certification application with the control body Monteorganica. Obtaining the certificate is a long-term process that requires keeping detailed records of production. The producer must regularly keep a farm book and a daily production register, in which he enters data on milking, milk temperature and the room for curdling, as well as the quantity of cheese produced and packaged. After packaging, the internal controller issues a declaration with data on the product and the producer. Data on animal nutrition is also recorded, whereby concentrated food may not exceed 30 percent of the ration, as well as data on the movement of livestock, raising on pastures and vaccinations. If production is carried out in rooms where other food is prepared, this may not be done at the same time.

All farms with more than five cows are required to have a separate room for cheese production with a water system and electricity. This is the biggest problem for livestock farmers, as most of them spend their summers with their cattle on the pastures.

"On the one hand, grazing cattle in the mountains is crucial for the quality of the puff cheese, and on the other hand, staying in the katuns prevents us from meeting all the requirements. Kolašin cheese is special due to the fact that it is made from the milk of cows that graze at high altitudes and on pastures where more than 200 plant species containing essential oils grow. However, according to the law, control is carried out only in facilities that are registered with the Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs Administration. It is not possible to register them in the katuns because there is no electricity or water. In addition, the katuns are built on state land, and the facilities required by the procedures should be built on private land," the livestock farmers explain.

They say that they have a facility that meets basic standards in the village, but that building such facilities on katuns is too expensive. They remind that the Association of Puff Cheese Producers has done everything to ensure that the procedures lead to certification, however, the lack of infrastructure on katuns significantly slows down the process. They say that a strategy and assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture are necessary to build facilities that meet the regulations, but also to provide water and electricity on katuns.

There is almost no hut in the Kolašin mountains that has everything required through the certification process.

These challenges have long been recognized by the Association of Puff Cheese Producers.

Necessary changes

Of the 1.900 heads of households producing puff cheese before the coronavirus pandemic, there are now barely 500, according to the Association's records.

Manufacturers have, as the president of the association says Ratko Pejić, numerous challenges, and in the future among them is “the incompatibility of our laws and directives with those of the EU”.

He believes that the chronic lack of money is hindering both the development of agriculture and the protection of the uniqueness of agricultural products.

"A possibility for solving these problems is the establishment of a Montenegrin development bank or funds that would enable producers to obtain the money they need cheaply to improve production and meet EU standards, as well as when withdrawing money from European funds. Montenegrin farmers barely manage to withdraw a third of the money offered from EU funds, mainly due to administrative barriers and the inability to borrow from existing banks for various reasons. These reasons include unresolved property relations, insufficient mortgages and the inability to provide guarantees," Pejić reminds.

According to him, the justified fear of agricultural producers is that these trends will continue after Montenegro joins the EU. He believes that domestic agriculture, faced with numerous obstacles, will not be able to compete with EU producers, which is why its importance could be reduced to a minimum or to the level of a hobby activity.

Pejić fears "that agriculture will no longer be a profession from which one can make a living, but will be mainly pursued by enthusiasts."

The production of one of the most recognizable Montenegrin cheeses, which is known beyond the borders of the country, according to the specification for the protection of the designation of origin, takes place, according to the data of the relevant ministry, in the area of ​​the municipalities of Kolašin and Mojkovac. The protected geographical area includes a total of 17 local communities.

"The special properties and quality of this cheese are conditioned by the natural characteristics of the area where it is produced. The richness of the plant world, climatic conditions and natural conditions contribute to the quality of milk, which is the basic raw material for cheese production. This is an area bordered by the canyons of the Tara and Morača rivers, and the mountain ranges of Bjelasica, Sinjajevina and Komovi. This region also contains Lake Biograd with its rainforest, one of the rare preserved natural resources of its kind in Europe," the official documentation states.

However, in addition to natural conditions, a significant contribution to the recognition of Kolašin puff cheese is made by the women of the region who have preserved and passed on the knowledge of its production for generations. The recipe is crucial for the authenticity of the product, especially the correct assessment of the natural acidity of the curd, i.e. the previously milked milk from which the cream has been removed. An important segment of production is also the joint heating of skimmed and whole milk before curdling, as well as the skill of shaping the characteristic sheets by which this cheese is recognizable.

In addition to Kolašin puff cheese, Njeguš prosciutto with a geographical indication, Pljevlja cheese with a designation of origin, Montenegrin beef prosciutto with a designation of origin, Montenegrin stelja with a designation of origin, Montenegrin prosciutto with a geographical indication and Durmitor skorup with a designation of origin have so far been protected in Montenegro.

The current regulations provide for the possibility of protecting agricultural and food products with a designation of origin, a geographical indication or a traditional speciality guaranteed. The protection procedure in these cases is initiated by groups of producers. Since 2018, producers have also been able to use the labels “Higher quality”, “Mountain product” and “From my farm”, which allow for additional valorization of the product and easier placement on the market. Unlike other protection models, an individual producer can also submit a request for registration of these labels, which simplifies the entire process.

On the one hand, grazing livestock in the mountains is crucial for the quality of puff cheese, and on the other hand, staying in the katuns makes it impossible for us to meet all the conditions.