Stanje u vinogradarstvu i vinartsvu Republike Hrvatske

Wine-growing and wine industry are strategic activities of great importance to the Republic of Croatia. By its range of products and the quality of wine our country is “the wine world in small”. The areas of vineyards are reduced to minimum (58.513 ha), but there is a possibility of planting vine on significantly larger vineyard surfaces. The annual wine production amounts to 200 million litres, of which only one third of wine production is recoreded. The number of wine-growers registered in the Register is 14,436, even though there are almost 100 000 families in this production. Croatia needs 10 000 family estates with the area of vineyards of about 5 ha; these areas would make this production maintainable. By the time Croatia joins the EU we should have 70, 000 ha of vineyards, which practically means that we must plant from 2 000 to 3 000 ha of vineyards a year. The realization and implementation of the Law on wine should be observed through the reform of the overall agriculture (Law on agriculture, Law on agricultural land, Law on stimulus in agriculture, forestry and fishery, Strategy of the development of Croatia, and so on). We believe that this new legislation in this area will enable faster and higher quality solvation of the problems that appear in wine-growing and wine production. Finally, it is important to create the conditions for the maintenance of wine-growing estates, for significant enlargement of wine-growing areas and for the larger vine and wine production, for the doubling of the registered wine trade, for the significant increase in wine consumption (30 to 40 litres per capita) and for a more significant wine export. The new Law on wine, the reform of stimulus, the Law on agricultural areas and other regulations are a quality basis for sorting things out in this production and for the realization of the set goals. Operational programme for creating 13, 000 ha of vineyards in the period from 2004 to 2007 is being realized. In 2004 / 05 13 million of vine seedlings were planted, of which the Croatian production accounts for 10 million, that makes about 2 700 ha of newly planted vineyards. More than 3000 ha of forest areas have been given commissioned (for cultivation). Through HBOR and HAMAG 175 loans have been approved and 57 million kn have been granted, with the interest rate of 4 % on 10 years and with the grace period of two years. The trend of vineyard planting is going to continue in 2006, when over 3000 ha of vineyards are expected to be planted. High quality seedlings will be provided for this production. Almost a thousand sorts of more and more quality wines on Croatian market are a guarantee for sparkling possibilities of wine-growing and wine production in the country. Never before has so much been done for the industry of wine-growing and wine production as nowadays, and there is no doubt that the results will be seen. These programmes (Operational programme for vineyard creation, Commissions for forest areas, Giving loans to permanent plantantions etc.) must bear fruit and this Ministry and Government will be remembered by the good they have made, by the quality wine offered together with the rich food in Croatia and in the world, and finally, by the beauty that a high quality wine gives