001-2012_09_NOA_berry_promotion_success.doc

A recent promotional event that highlighted Kosovo’s bountiful berry harvest drew 15,000 people to downtown Pristina, where they eagerly snapped up freshly picked strawberries and blackberries.

USAID organized August’s Berry Promotional Days to directly link more than 20 Kosovo berry farmers with consumers, increasing the latter’s awareness of these two valuable—and tasty—domestic crops. Fresh blackberries in particular represent a novelty in Kosovo, where they were long sold only in processed form.

The promotional event should not only expand the market for fresh strawberries and blackberries, but inspire more domestic farmers to begin cultivating the berries as well, according to USAID’s New Opportunities for Agriculture (NOA) program. During the event, NOA facilitated 27,480 Euros in wholesale and direct-to-consumer berry sales.

Fresh blackberries in particular proved a hit with consumers during the event, commanding prices 30% to 40% higher than they had in 2011. In general, blackberries sold at twice the price of strawberries, signaling significant consumer interest. That interest is motivating growers to divert more of the blackberry harvest to higher-margin fresh sales.

Indeed, NOA’s role this season in promoting and facilitating fresh berry sales, coupled with its assistance in improving product packaging and labeling, led producers this year to sell their entire crop of top-quality blackberries as fresh product. Looking forward, better market access and higher prices should encourage more farmers to undertake blackberry cultivation.

Berry Promotional Days received widespread media coverage, serving to increase consumer awareness across Kosovo. Beyond USAID, Kosovo’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development; the Riinvest Institute; and the Initiative for Agriculture Development of Kosovo (IADK) helped organize the event. NOA anticipates the event will become an annual happening.