[Business Scene] Zvonimir Sedlić Opens the First Factory for Protein, Starch, and Fiber

In Novi Senkovac near Slatina, the Nutris.tech™ factory for processing beans and potatoes will be opened at the end of April, with an investment of 220 million kuna. This is the largest investment in the Virovitica-Podravina County last year, which will secure a significant position for Croatia in the supply of the European and global supply chain for plant proteins. Using a unique technology and the One In – All Out method, beans and potatoes are fractionated, and the components of the plant – proteins, starch, and fiber – are separated in a gentle and environmentally sustainable manner, which are then transformed into high-quality products. The NutriSmart products that the factory will produce are intended for the food industries in the fastest-growing markets covering the EU, North America, and Asia.

– This is the first investment in the history of Croatia in the production of proteins, starch, and fibers, which makes our industry more resilient to crises and all the present challenges in supply chains. The process of obtaining isolates is sustainable and represents the pinnacle of the global food industry when we talk about complexity and the level of investment. That is why our products are of superior quality and are produced from local raw materials from the EU area – says Zvonimir Sedlić, CEO and 50% co-owner of NutriS. (The other co-owner is the Danish fund SD Venture.)

Sedlić is better known to the business public as the owner of Invest Sedlić (now Invest agro). He sold the company, which at its peak had over 200 million kuna in revenue, in 2019, and a year and a half later, a pre-bankruptcy procedure was initiated.

The electricity used in the process comes from 100% renewable sources, and further investments in energy efficiency are planned to reduce natural gas consumption.

The raw material area for the cultivation of industrial beans stretches from Karlovac in central Croatia to Bobota in the east. Currently, about 250 farmers are integrated into NutriS. Beans are included in the system of production-related payments in Croatia. In addition to two thousand kuna of basic support per hectare, farmers can achieve an additional 3,050 kuna per hectare for the first 20 hectares.

Last year, 33 new contracts were signed with producers, and the NutriS team continues to visit family farms in search of new cooperators. Production was on 130 hectares of starch potatoes and 300 hectares of beans. A total of about 10 million kuna was paid to farmers. At the end of last year, the first quantities of industrial potatoes were processed into protein and starch for the European Union market.

– It is of strategic importance for Europe to produce proteins to reduce dependence on imports, which accounts for more than 75% of its needs. We recognized this in NUTRIS and I would say we launched integrated production of proteins, starch, and fibers at the right time, where we plan to secure all the necessary raw materials together with our valuable producers – says our interlocutor.

In Novi Senkovac, they are also considering new investments. By 2025, they will build the innovation-technology NUTRIS.park worth 90 million euros, which will enable the opening of around a hundred new jobs, along with the integration of a thousand small farms into the supply chain and the production of 70,000 tons of high-quality ingredients for the food industry.

– Ultimately, by 2030, we want to connect all processes in one place of the future NUTRIS.park, from primary production, research and development to industrial production, as well as socially beneficial and educational content for all those who want to contribute to a healthier, better life and sustainability on Earth – concludes Sedlić.

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