The Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, Minister of Agriculture Marija Vučković, Member of Parliament Branko Bačić, Split-Dalmatia County Prefect Blaženko Boban, and Mayor of Vrgorac Ante Pranić visited the newly built facility for the production of durable meat products of Pivac Group in the Economic Zone Ravča near Vrgorac on Tuesday. After the tour of the facility, a meeting was held with Ivica Pivac, CEO of the Meat Industry Braća Pivac, and Neven Pivac and Miljenko Pivac, members of the Management Board of the Meat Industry Braća Pivac.
– I thank Mr. Ivica Pivac for presenting the new facility to us today, the largest prosciutto factory in this part of Europe. This is a great investment near Vrgorac and one of the ways this Group, which also operates in Karlovac in PPK and in Čakovec in Vajda and includes the latest investment in Kraš in Zagreb and employs nearly 4,500 people in total, secures jobs here in the Dalmatian hinterland. I am glad that this production has been done in a way that reflects the technology of prosciutto production in this part of Croatia and is thus highly recognized and valued by numerous consumers. I congratulate them on this and I am pleased that they have excellent cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, and we also heard today about plans for additional facilities they will build here. I am confident that we will find a way for such projects to receive support at the national level and through European funds – said Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia.
Doubling the Production Capacity of Prosciutto
Pivac has firmly held the position of leader in prosciutto production in the Croatian market for years, and an investment worth over 120 million kuna in the construction of the newly opened modern prosciutto factory covering 10,500 square meters and a total capacity of 4,500 tons will give new momentum and further expand the production capacity of Dalmatian prosciutto.
– The capacity of the new prosciutto factory, the largest not only in Croatia but also in Southeast Europe, is over 300,000 pieces of prosciutto and 2,500 tons of pancetta, pečenica, and buđola. In addition to increasing production capacity, the new prosciutto factory will enable Pivac Group to better position itself in the market and, in the long term, make a significant leap into the European market – stated Ivica Pivac, CEO of the Meat Industry Braća Pivac.
The Most Modern Technology, While Preserving Tradition
The new prosciutto factory is a combination of original Dalmatian recipes and top technological solutions from countries with a rich tradition of producing similar products.
– Since Dalmatian prosciutto is protected by a geographical indication, it was crucial to preserve the traditional production conditions that are its most important characteristic. This means that all key elements of production remain unchanged – salting with coarse sea salt sourced from local saltworks, drying in the Dalmatian bora wind, smoking with white wood, and long maturation in authentic conditions. Traditional production conditions are precisely the guarantee for retaining the maximum flavor and aroma properties of our Dalmatian prosciutto – explained Darko Markotić, Production Director of the Meat Industry Braća Pivac.
The production process will be carried out according to the highest standards, according to the specifications for the protection of the geographical indication, and in accordance with international quality and food safety standards IFS Food, HACCP, and ISO 9001.
Second Phase of Investment
With the construction of the prosciutto factory, Pivac Group has completed the investment cycle that began with the project of expanding cooperation with domestic pig breeders and investments in primary slaughter processing, i.e., the expansion and modernization of the slaughterhouse in Čakovec.
– These projects have enabled maximum utilization of domestic raw materials throughout the Pivac Group, which, along with the entire product range, also applies to the production of Dalmatian prosciutto and other durable meat products. By continuing to invest in production capacities and maximizing the use of domestic raw materials, we will continue to strive to work for the benefit of the domestic economy and rural development – stated Ivica Pivac.
Immediately after the completion of the construction of this high-functional facility, the second phase of the investment worth nearly 20 million euros began in the Economic Zone Ravča, which will include the construction of a new facility for cutting and packaging fresh meat, production of semi-durable products, packaging, and distribution of all products, as well as a new administrative building. The ultimate goal is to consolidate all production processes, which currently take place at three different locations, with the completion of the work expected in 2022.
