NOTHING AS TOPNOTCH AS GRADED APPLE

November 2012 - Not every apple makes the gradebut the fruit that does can command premium prices. That is why the three Medunjanin brothers, of Bllagaje, Kosovo, took special care to grade and sort the more than 80 tons of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Idared apples they grew and sold in 2012. Their fruitgraded 1, 2 or 3 with an eye to size, shape, color, maturity, soundness and absence of blemishesstands in sharp contrast to the generally ungraded and unsorted fruit that Kosovos other apple growers produce.
Photo: NOA

Hivzija Medunjanin in the family orchard.

In the past, Hivzija, Shefkija and Safet Medunjanin also sold ungraded fruit at the green market in the nearby city of Peja/Pec. This year instead, they spent upward of six hours a day grading and sorting their apple crop. The consistency and uniformity of product that results from grading and sorting is a must for any grower seeking to sell in bulk to large wholesalers and retailers. In general, graded and sorted fruit also fetches higher prices on average. Indeed, the efforts made by the brothers certainly paid off, through a lucrative contract struck in 2011 with a Pristina wholesaler and retailer, facilitated by USAIDs New Opportunities for Agriculture (NOA) project.

Safet Medunjanin at work grading apples.

Photo: NOA

This year, the three brothers supplied their graded and sorted apples to Adem Krasniqi, owner of Fatosi.kom. The trading firm in turn sold the apples through Pristinas wholesale market, as well as through the InterEx supermarket chain. Already, the Medunjanins have in place a similar agreement for 2013. Meanwhile, the three brothers are doubling the size of their apple orchard, with two additional hectares recently planted with six apple varieties new to Kosovo, including Granny Smith, Fuji and Jonagored.

Photo: NOA

Medunjanin apples graded and sorted for market.

U.S. Agency for International Development www.usaid.gov