Croatian Climate Station Bears Fruit
Like many farmers around the world, fruit growers in the City of Velika Gorica, situated near Zagreb, struggle with adverse conditions that affect production and quality such as heavy rain, hail, frost, insects and plant diseases.
The Bubamara Association of Fruit Producers has been providing agriculture advice to local farmers since 1998. In addition to their efforts to help farmers produce a healthier product through an “integrated” fruit production system they developed, a modern climate station was needed that would serve as an early warning system for farmers.
With USAID assistance through the CroNGO program (Assistance to Croatian non-governmental organizations), local farmers now receive advance warning by mobile phone and e-mail about all weather changes, allowing them time to protect their orchards.
According to Franjo Meštrović, President of the Bubamara Association, “We noticed that our members took the issue of protecting their plants more seriously after we installed the climate station. During our regular visits and monitoring we saw how our members devoted themselves to integrated fruit production”.
As a service to non-association members and other interested individuals, Bubamara also disseminates the climate station’s data on teletext through public television. Bubamara estimates that approximately 1,000 local fruit farmers receive daily updates on weather and plant diseases.
According to Robert Crep, Agriculture Advisor at the Bubamara Fruit Producers’ Association, “We had a vision. I knew what we needed to ensure integrated fruit production among our members. We realized that by obtaining the climate station a great deal of our problems would be solved.”
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Association of Fruit Growers Bubamara present their climate station that will help
fruit growers in Velika Gorica to develop an integrated system for fruit production
Photo Credit: Bubamara Fruit Producers' Assocation |
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