Serbia and Ferrero in new phase of cooperation – Development of first hazelnut district of excellence planned

Minister of Agriculture Dragan Glamocic announced the formation of a working group for the development of the first hazelnut district of excellence in West Backa, which would include local governments, scientific institutions, chambers and companies like Ferrero.

– We want the district of excellence to become a model for other branches of agriculture - fruit growing, dairying, viticulture. Serbia has the knowledge, land and people, and now we are building a system that will last for decades – said Glamocic during a visit to the Ferrero hazelnut estate in the Aleksa Santic settlement near Sombor, where a roundtable was held with representatives of AgriSerbia d.o.o., Ferrero Group and the Embassy of the Republic of Italy in Serbia.

Glamocic said that the roundtable represented “the beginning of a new phase of cooperation based on knowledge, coordination and sustainability,” the Ministry announced.

They remind that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ferrero company ten years ago.

Today, Serbia is a reliable and long-term partner in the hazelnut production sector, and cooperation with Ferrero is one of the most successful examples of direct foreign investments in Serbian agriculture, it was emphasized during the conversation.

– The plan is to increase hazelnut production in Serbia to 40,000 tons in the next ten years – said Glamocic.

Italian Ambassador to Serbia Luca Gori emphasized that the Ferrero company was “the most significant Italian investor in the agricultural sector of Serbia and a symbol of long-term friendship and cooperation between the two countries.”

– Agriculture is and will be one of the most important pillars of bilateral cooperation between Italy and Serbia. That is why we support all initiatives that contribute to sustainable development and improvement of production quality – said Gori.

Director of AgriSerbia d.o.o. Ettore Fontana presented the results of investments over the past decade.

The AgriSerbia estate covers 600 hectares under hazelnut plantations, with production reaching up to 1,800 tons per year, depending on weather conditions. This year, around 1,000 tons of first-class fruit are expected, despite the July storm that partially reduced the yield. Drip irrigation systems enable efficient and rational water consumption, and the entire estate is certified according to SCS sustainability standards.

Ferrero has so far established several nurseries in Serbia, from which over 1.8 million hazelnut seedlings have been distributed, which has enabled the establishment of more than 3,360 hectares of new plantations in the country and the export of around 500,000 seedlings to Romania and neighboring countries.

The company currently cooperates with over 680 agricultural farms, 620 of which are smaller than 10 hectares, thus encouraging the development of family farms and an even territorial distribution of production, the statement says.

Through the technical support system, Ferrero conducted 550 field visits in 2024, as well as several group and individual training sessions for producers. In addition to practical education, the company conducts research in cooperation with the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad, and together with the Agricultural Competence Centre, Ferrero develops modern methods of yield monitoring and integrated plant protection.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and the Serbian Statistical Office, the total area under hazelnuts in Serbia in 2024 was 8,718 hectares, and production in the previous year reached 8,910 tons with an average yield of 1 ton per hectare (in intensive plantations up to 3.6 t/ha). The largest part of production is located in Vojvodina (44%), followed by southern and eastern Serbia (24%), Sumadija and western Serbia (23%), while the Belgrade region accounts for 9%.

Hazelnut exports from Serbia in 2024 amounted to 1,759 tons, worth EUR 5.7 million, of which as much as 92% was sold to Italy. At the same time, 740 tons of hazelnuts were imported, mainly from Turkey, which shows that Serbia has room for growth in domestic production and import substitution.

The Ferrero company, as the world’s largest hazelnut buyer, purchases between 22 and 27% of world production and supplies the global market with its brands such as Nutella, Ferrero Rocher and Kinder Bueno. Serbia, thanks to its geographical location and climatic conditions, is in a favorable position to become a regional supply center for Southeast Europe.

Ferrero Group CEO Marco Botta emphasized that the partnership with Serbia was based on trust, long-term planning and responsible production:

– When we started this project more than a decade ago, we were guided by a vision of long-term development. Today, after 11 years, we can say that Serbia has become one of the most important pillars of our European hazelnut production. Our goal is not just to purchase, but to build a system that brings together knowledge, farmers and institutions. Serbia is an example of how sustainable agriculture can be built through patience and joint work – said Botta and added that Ferrero would continue with new investments in education, research and development of local communities.

Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede Republike Srbije

Ambasada Italije Srbija

Agriserbia doo Aleksa Šantić

Ministry of Agriculture

Ferrero Group

AgriSerbia doo

Embassy of Italy in Serbia

Aleksa Šantić settlement near Sombor

Dragan Glamočić

Luca Gori

Marco Botta

Ettore Fontana

hazelnut

hazelnut farming

hazelnut center of excellence