“Meggle BH” improves its production process with the helping hand of the European Union

Meggle BH is one of the most successful companies in the production of dairy products on the market in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thanks to the introduction of innovative approaches in work, and compliance with high production standards, a blue clover on white and blue packaging of various dairy products is now a household name for quality.

The company buys only local cow’s milk from more than 1,400 of its farmers from across the entire country. Local milk is then processed in its plants respecting the strict procedures of the food industry.

During 2021, with the support of the EU4AGRI project, the company further improved its production processes by purchasing a modern machine for filling and packaging fresh cheese and kaymak.

“Given the demands of local and foreign markets, we needed to modernise the plant and expand the capacity for cheese and kaymak production, so we did, by installing the Trepko machine, secured through the EU4AGRI project,” explains Jadranka Penava, CEO of Meggle BH.

The capacities of the old production and packaging machine for cheese and kaymak were 1,800 cups per hour, while the new one has a capacity of 3,200 to 4,100 cups of different weights for the same time interval. It also allows for packaging of products in various forms of cups, which is essential when placing products on the market.

“As a leader in the BiH market, Meggle is expected to meet market needs, improve and develop production processes, as well as continuously launch new and innovative products. This investment has made it all very possible for us,” adds Jadranka.

The purchase of a new machine also contributed to the increase of product quality and safety of the production process, but the automation of certain steps also reduced the possibility of human error.

High quality of the company’s products meets the strict requirements of customers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Union, but also countries in the region. Meggle BH offers more than 150 products in its product range; its homemade milk, yogurt, kefir, sour cream, cooking cream, kaymak, buttercream, and other products hold a special place in many households.

“One of the major benefits of this machine is certainly the option to create products in layers – for example, two different products in one package in response to the needs of the modern market,” explains Penava.

Behind the company’s leadership position there is dedication and a clear vision of development, continuous investment in new technologies, but also staff training. The support of the EU4AGRI project through the introduction of new technologies will certainly contribute to the further development and positioning of this company in the domestic and foreign markets, and especially in meeting the high-quality standards for products marked with a blue clover.

The value of the investment supported through the EU4AGRI project is around BAM 730,000 of which the European Union’s co-financing was around BAM 300,000.

Currently, the EU-funded EU4AGRI project has a public call open for the award of grants for investments in processing capacities and marketing of agri-food products in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Through this Public Call, the European Union will support investments in processing capacities of the agri-food industry by introducing innovations and developing new and/or improving existing products, marketing tools, and ensuring business continuity and a safe and healthy working environment in BiH.

The deadline for applications is 7 June 2022. More information available through our website www.eu4agri.ba or via LINK.

The EU4AGRI project is a four-year initiative (2020-2024) aimed at modernising the agri-food sector, generating new jobs, as well as retaining the existing ones and supporting recovery from the COVID-19 crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The total value of the project, funded by the European Union, is EUR 20.25 million. The project is jointly implemented and co-financed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in BiH and the Czech Development Agency (CzDA).

The EU4AGRI project has so far supported 45 investments of BiH farmers and companies with investments with a total value of EUR 10.7 million, of which BAM 6.3 million was financed by the EU.

Europa.ba