Realization of the project "Raspberries across the border" is in full swing, in which, besides the Serbian municipalities of Arilje and Čajetina the municipality of Istočni Stari Grad, also the municipality of Sokolac is included. The project is worth just over 236.000 Euros. Most of the funds were provided by the European Union. The municipalities participate with 15 percent of the funds of the total project value.

In the area of Sokolac municipality, last spring, there were 30 dunums of raspberries planted.

March 27, experts from Arilja went around to see raspberry plants in the area of Sokolac municipality and Istočni Stari Grad in order to get acquainted with the current state of the raspberry farms. In the municipality of Sokolac visited the raspberry farms in Bukovik and Novo Selo.

As Radojko Luković, engineer of the Arilje Innovative Center, who is in charge of a team of experts who monitor implementation of the project "Raspberries across the border," said, future producers of raspberries on Romanija have been provided with adequate professional help in order to successfully deal with production of this berry.

"We have been with them all the time, advised them on which technology to choose, participated in the analysis of land and gave other advice. We came at the beginning of spring to visit the plantations. This is the time to set up posts and wire to which grown raspberry sprouts need be tied. Despite the severe winter and inclement weather conditions at the time of planting, on the most raspberry farms the condition is satisfactory. All who respected advice and paid the appropriate attention to raspberries, have a good growth of seedlings. It is the fact that the snow did its part, there are broken stem, but the planting sites will stay healthy and new seedlings will grow next season. For the most producers it is the most important to create seedlings, which in the coming years will create additional income to the household," says Luković.

According to him, this spring fertilizing of the seedlings with manure and mineral fertilizers needs to be made and also plowing to protect crops from weeds. Of course, there is setting up of posts for grown seedlings. Wire for the posts should arrive these days. Then it will be worked on providing everything needed for irrigation.