Serbian Association of Agricultural Economists
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Šara cheese - Štrpce, Kosovo and Metohija
Nenad Janićević from Štrpce municipality – Ethno restaurant Ambient is an example of a perfect combination of hospitality and agriculture;
Nenad Janićević from the village of Berevce in the municipality of Štrpce, in Kosovo and Metohija, is the owner of the restaurant Ambient, which was founded in 2018. The restaurant offers its guests specialties of local and international cuisine, and they are especially proud of the product they produce themselves, which is highly sought after and recognized throughout the region, namely Šarski cheese. This family business, in which Nenad's wife, parents and other close relatives are also involved, is a real example of how agriculture can be connected with catering in a beautiful and useful way.
The area of Štrpce municipality has been known for years as a place where one of the most authentic types of hard cheeses in Kosovo and Metohija and in the Republic of Serbia is made - šarski cheese. Modern changes in society and the departure of young people from the villages to the cities in the last ten years have resulted in fewer livestock and therefore less cheese producers, and one of the few households that is engaged in this business is the Janićević family in the village of Berevce. They produce cheese only for their personal needs and for the needs of the restaurant owned by Nenad, and his parents are in charge of the entire work related to livestock and production.
Nenad believes that the connection between agriculture and catering and tourism in the municipality is very important, because in this way all the necessary products in the restaurant can be obtained from local producers and thereby ensure their safe placement, which will, consequently, affect the entire economic development of the municipality.
Until 1999, when the company "Inex" worked with its several hotels and restaurants, the marketing of agricultural products was not questioned, because all producers marketed their products there, such as milk, meat, cheese, vegetables, and the like. However, the events of the last 24 years and numerous problems in the functioning or non-functioning of this enterprise have also affected agriculture in the municipality. When you add to the difficult placement the hard work, the uncertain harvest every year, the low earnings and the costs that have risen quite a bit, it seems that farmers have little reason to engage in this business.
However, the production of Shar cheese and the demand for this delicacy, which has not changed despite the price of 12 euros per kilogram, gives hope that animal husbandry will revive in these areas.
Nenad believes that investments in the development of hospitality and tourism capacities are the basic prerequisite for that. However, the political situation is still what everything depends on in Kosovo and Metohija. The current situation, above all in majority Serbian areas, is such that people see less and less of a future in these areas. Therefore, there remains hope that in the near future the situation will change in a positive direction, which will enable families like Janićević in the municipality of Štrpce, as well as many others, to survive and remain on their centuries-old hearths.
Article prepared by: Maja Mladenović