Serbian town Arilje known globally for its high-quality raspberries

Arilje, a town in Serbia, has gained international recognition as the country's 'raspberry capital,' with its berries exported to markets as distant as the United States and Japan. Serbia itself ranks among the top three global exporters of raspberries, and Arilje accounts for approximately one-fifth of these exports.

The town's unique hilly landscape and climate are ideal for cultivating high-quality raspberries, which are grown without chemicals and picked by hand. Producers, however, face significant challenges, including increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and unstable purchase prices, which have introduced uncertainty into the business.

These raspberry fields have largely operated as generational family businesses. The average annual yield ranges between 15,000 to 20,000 tons, with fields requiring at least two years to mature and demanding continuous care. Seasonal workers, some from India and other South Asian countries, are often employed during the early summer picking season.

Approximately 90% of Serbian raspberries are exported frozen, primarily for use in European food processing, jams, yogurts, and bakery products. The remaining portion is sold domestically. This year's harvest is anticipated to be 20-30% lower than usual, attributed to the previous year's drought. Producers express concern that climate change-fueled extreme weather, coupled with inadequate purchase prices, leaves them with minimal profit and unable to cover unforeseen costs, leading to past protests.