Mario Jarnjak, the director of Fanon from Petrijanec near Varaždin, the largest commercial producer of animal feed in Croatia, announced an investment that will significantly change the face of Croatian mariculture – a fish feed factory – in a conversation with Manuel Tašler, the editor-commentator of Lider at today’s Investment Conference. Croatia, Jarnjak said, does not have its own fish feed factory, and fish farming is one of our main strategic pillars.
– Croatia, as a country that invests significantly in fish farming capacities, both for its own market and for tourism, as well as for exports, does not have its own production of fish feed. Given that this market is growing at a rate of eight percent, a step in that direction is quite logical, especially since we are currently importing fish feed from all over Europe – Jarnjak emphasized, adding that they are already in the trial production phase.
When it comes to other investments, he spoke about high concrete prices and concrete lobbies, which is why they are increasingly considering steel constructions for production facilities.
As for what they are already specialized in, animal feed, Fanon is noticing various market turbulences. Jarnjak described how the sunflower harvest has been completed, the corn harvest is currently underway, and there are not only problems with prices and uncontrolled imports but also with storage capacities.
– There are not enough capacities, this is a problem that all market participants will soon have to pay attention to – Jarnjak said.
Prices are another problem; raw material prices are lower than last year, and in addition, the market is flooded, especially when it comes to sunflower and sunflower oil, with products from Ukraine being sold at significantly lower prices than domestic ones.
– Some countries have protected their markets, we have not, and that is also part of the problem – Jarnjak concluded.
