New partners for our project
During the summer, Centar za odgoj i obrazovanje Slave Raškaj Zagreb made a list of OPGs in Zagreb and Zagreb County. The OPGs were selected according to the location that suited us - i.e. those selected were at a smallest possible distance from the restaurants that would be included in our project.The OPGs were divided into groups based on the crops they grow (fruit and fruit products, vegetables and vegetable products, livestock and fodder, etc.).
We contacted more than 15 managers of OPGs of various size - from growers with lower yields to larger producers.During our conversation, we've noticed that the producers themselves have found ways to market and distribute their products, in view of the situation with the Covid pandemics.Sometimes this is a simple direct sale at "one's own doorstep" - each customer comes to the manufacturer on recommendation and buys the desired quantity.Some producers have been selling at the city markets or fruit shops for many years.
The products are also ordered and sold online.we've also found an OPG that is already in direct communication with restaurants, selling its products that way.It has been noticed that some OPGs cannot meet the customer demand for their production, which is a good indicator and an incentive for expanding the offer of the OPG itself.Unfortunately, some OPGs had to stop their operation because they couldn't compete with cheaper imported food on the market.OPG owners were generally open to conversation and discussion, and some of them were even willing to receive a group of students to represent their business. I briefly presented the purpose of our project to them and asked them to fill out a questionnaire about the work of their OPG.