Tonnies interested in five locations in Vojvodina – First two farms probably in Zrenjanin and Kikinda

It will be known by June 1 whether Germany’s Tonnies, whose arrival has been announced for two and a half years now, will be raising pig farms in Serbia.

As Minister of Agriculture Branislav Nedimovic said for Politika, the contest for 30-year lease of state property will end by then. He confirmed that, among the 219 investors’ applications, there were seven companies founded in Serbia with foreign capital. Nedimovic didn’t disclose their names, but he said that those investors were interested in the sectors of meat processing, pig farming and livestock farming, as well as fruit and vegetable growing.

– These are companies founded in Serbia, but connected with foreign capital. We will disclose concrete information once we see which of these investors meet the requirements – Nedimovic said for Politika and confirmed that Tonnies had applied for five locations.

Public information about the investments of the biggest German meat producer is still scarce. Of the big plans announced for Serbia and the investment of EUR 300 million, the only thing known so far is that the first two farms might be raised in the area of Zrenjanin and Kikinda. The rest is still a secret, though it’s quite certain that Tonnies is interested exclusively in Vojvodina as the starting point for spreading business from Serbia.

The minister said earlier that the German company didn’t have any kind of special status and that the commission would choose as many investors as met the requirements – possibly 15 to 20 of them.

Nevertheless, some experts believe that Tonnies will not arrive to Serbia, as it has no interest to. The reason is that pigs are still vaccinated against swine fever, and the export is only allowed five years after the vaccination ends or if the regionalization of protection is determined, which is not the case locally. Furthermore, they add that the German company doesn’t need Serbia as a market, but as a location to export from.

Toennies Invest d.o.o. Beograd

Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede Republike Srbije

Tonnies

Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection

Branislav Nedimovic

lease of state property

agricultural land

lease of agricultural land

pig farming

pigs

pig farm