KB Krusha Increases Production Capacities

17.05.2021
The next step to expanding the activity of Agricultural Cooperative Krusha in Kosovo is the installation of a new line for ajvar processing. In fact, such development enables not only an increase of production quantity but also of quality.

After inaugurating the new production facilities, KB Krusha continues to invest in expanding production capacities. The purpose is to further enrich the range of products and better positioning in the local and export markets, apart from continuously improving quality. One of their most sought products are ajvar (pepper paste) and pickled vegetables.

The new ajvar processing line to be installed increases considerably the quantity produced per hour, accelerating the process from roasting, peeling, and grinding of peppers. “This new line roasts up to 1,500 kg of peppers per hour,” says Fahrije Hoti, founder of KB Krusha. “With increased capacities we will expand the ajvar season,” she adds. 

Apart from increasing the quantity of production of optimizing utilization of capacities, the new ajvar line increases the need for more employees at the factory, and more contracted quantities of vegetables. Therefore, this year, KB Krusha will contract more farmers who cultivate vegetables in order to meet the increasing demand for their products.

“This investment was enabled through the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, through the Promoting Private Sector Employment project,” adds Fahrije Hoti. She says that collaboration with PPSE, which is implemented by Swisscontact, started in 2015.

“We received support from Senior Expert Contact (SEC) twice: for food technology and marketing, which helped us to significantly improve the shelf-life of the product in the market, and from the design and marketing aspect. We also received support to prepare the 10-year strategy of the cooperative. Further, we were included in the scheme of contracted seedlings for farmers,” says Fahrije Hoti.

According to her, participation in the contracted seedlings scheme enabled KB Krusha earlier market presence with their products, as well as cultivation by contracted farmers of high quality of crops for which there is market demand, and above all, new employment opportunities were created at the farm level and factory.