HGK: Winemakers need stronger government support

The Wine Act has ensured a key role for winemakers and their regional organisations in branding and protecting their wines, but wine promotion needs stronger government support, the vice-president of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) for agriculture and tourism, Dragan Kovacevic, said on Monday.

Kovacevic was speaking at En Primeur, a tasting of young Istrian Malvazija wines at Zagreb's Hotel Esplanade. The event was organised by the Vinistra association.

Kovacevic said that Austria allocated over €8 million annually for the promotion of its wines and that Croatia should do the same according to its financial ability.

"For us wine is not just a food and potentially important export product. Wine also plays an important role in tourism and helps in branding Croatia as a wine and food destination. That's why the HGK, together with our winemakers, has begun talks with the Ministry of Agriculture to meet all formal conditions so that financing regional organisations of winemakers and the national promotion of wines becomes an item in the state budget for 2021," Kovacevic said.

Citing data for 2018, Krunoslav Karalic, Assistant Minister of Agriculture, said that the winemaking sector was recording positive trends, with wine imports decreasing and exports increasing.

"We will do all we can so that these trends continue," Karalic said, adding that this sector was an example of excellent cooperation between the ministry and producers who had participated in the preparation of the Wine Act.

The new national aid programme for the winemaking sector went into force at the start of 2019, ensuring HRK 11 million annually for promotion in the European Union and third countries and for investment in wineries and the restructuring and conversion of vineyards, Karalic said. (Hina)

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