Jams, cheeses, juices, spicy sauces, honey, and cosmetics made from a blend of bee products and medicinal herbs are just some of the homemade items that will be showcased at the “Fruits of the Village of Small Producers” fair in Banja Luka, where over 50 exhibitors from across the Republic of Srpska will gather.
Vesna Smiljanić, who is also the president of the Srbac Women’s Association, will present her spicy “Jami” jams at the fair, which pair well with meat, cheese, and wine. She told “Glas Srpske” that this year her stand will also feature two new jams, one made from rosehip and the other from pear.
“There will, of course, also be the spicy cherry jam for which I received a gold medal from the Faculty of Technology in Banja Luka a few years ago,” Smiljanić said. She added that this fair is very meaningful to her, as it allows her to not only showcase her products but also make new acquaintances and exchange insights.
The Agricultural School from Prijedor will also participate, with students presenting delicious goods they’ve crafted themselves. The school’s director, Goran Aničić, emphasized that they gladly attend this fair every year, which offers valuable motivation for students.
“These include products like preserved goods and baked items made by the students during practical training. We always leave the fair with a wealth of positive impressions, and our stand is consistently one of the most visited,” Aničić stated, adding that the demand for their products is high every year. According to him, students even compete to attend the fair, as they enjoy being noticed.
The Gagić family from Gradiška, who engage in beekeeping and handcrafting natural cosmetics from bee products, will also have a stand at this year’s fair.
“As in previous years, we will present our honey, bee products, and cosmetics made from local ingredients,” said Zvjezdana Gagić. She noted that the entire family, who has been in beekeeping for over 30 years, is involved in the production process, which can take up to six months.
One of the fair’s organizers, and manager of the “GLS” cluster, Bojan Ćikić, noted that the exhibitors are mainly small family farms that typically sell directly to consumers.
“The interest from family farms to participate in this fair is substantial every year. However, our capacity is limited, so we can’t accommodate everyone interested,” Ćikić said, adding that experts will once again evaluate products based on sensory analysis conducted by the Faculty of Technology, providing valuable advisory feedback to improve product quality.
The fair is organized by agricultural clusters “Krajina,” “GLS,” “Una-Sana,” “Poljoklast,” “SMB,” “SRP,” and “Stara Hercegovina” in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of RS and the Agricultural and Technological faculties in Banja Luka.
Bojan Ćikić also announced that a “Healthy Snacks” workshop has been prepared for the youngest visitors to the fair.
“We’ve also organized prize games at the fair and on social media,” Ćikić said.
Source: glassrpske.com
