In Republika Srpska orchards cover a total area of 20, 442 hectares with an estimated production of 667, 631 tons of fruit, confirmed the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.
The largest area of orchards, a total of 15, 918 hectares, is covered with plums with an estimated production level of 516, 198 tons, while 2, 500 hectares are covered with apples with an average production of 95, 678 tons.
Average yields in the past year were higher than statistics from 2012 and they ranged from 15 to 30% in the region of Gradiska, 30 to 40% in Doboj and 10 do 50% in the region of Banjaluka.
Problems in the fruit industry, last year, were mostly related to placement on the foreign market, as well as the low purchase price of local buyers. Other problems included the inadequate assortment of fruit, poor fruit quality, as well as the lack of facilities for sorting and packing fruit.