On Thursday, 9 March 2023, the final conference of the project COOPeR – Enhancing competitiveness of olive production in the programme area through cross border cooperation, co-financed from the Interreg IPA CBC Programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2014-2020, was held in Mostar.
More than 70 participants from all three Programme countries attended the event. Besides olive growers, the conference gathered representatives of various institutions and organizations that are relevant to the olive growing sector.
The Lead partner, City of Mostar, together with the project partners Croatian Chamber of Economy, Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Chamber of Economy of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and NGO Olive Growers Association Boka presented the results achieved in the past 27 months of project implementation.
As part of the event, selected olive growers had an opportunity to reflect on the new knowledge and skills gained through targeted educations, workshops and conferences organized by the project. Considering the significant increase in olive production in recent years, a panel discussion was held about future potential of olive growing in the Programme area.
One of the key project results is the construction of the Olive Center in Mostar that offers important diagnostic and consulting services in this sector, complemented with a pilot olive grove with 18 cultivars from the Mediterranean region. The conference ended with a tour of the Olive Centre where the participants familiarized themselves with the opportunities the Center will offer in the future.
