Banca Intesa declared the winners of the fourth annual Intesa Farmer competition for the most successful farmers. According to jury, the winners of the competition were chosen as follows: Vladimir Pavasović from Sremska Mitrovica in the category Intesa farmer, Peter Dobrković from Bačka Topola found in the category Intesa Fruit Grower, Antal Janusko from Novo Orahovo in the category Intesa Cattler and Renata Nagy in the category Intesa Vegetable Grower while Milanka Trtović from Nova Varos, was a prize-winner of the competition in the category of Slow Food Intesa for small agricultural producers, which was introduced this year in partnership with the Association of Slow Food Serbia.
Banca Intesa awarded the most successful participants of the competition with a trip to the event, Slow Food Fair in Stuttgart – Fair of good taste (Markt des guten Geschmacks – die Slow Food Messe), and with vouchers worth 100,000 dinars for the purchase of raw materials.
“This year has brought good results in the sector of agriculture and the growth of production that we all wanted. In line with this trend Banca Intesa recorded dynamic demand, and thus the increase in credit activity. Due to adequate supply and the ability to recognise current customer needs, innovative products and reduced interest rates, the bank in the first nine months of 2016 recorded a significant growth of credit support to registered farms, which we believe contributed to the success of clients now reward” said Darko Popović, member of the Executive Board and Head of Division of the retail and small business Banca Intesa.
In the fourth cycle of the competition Intesa Farmer signed up more than 550 farmers, a commission work guided by the general criteria that include the annual results achieved through agricultural production, possession of its own storage, the involvement of family members in the manufacturing process, and established cooperation with Banca Intesa.
The contestants were evaluated by a professional jury composed of Predrag Milenović, director of business with small business of Banca Intesa, Đorđe Radulović, Director of Sales Management registered farms Banca Intesa, Vojislav Živanović, manager of sponsorships, donations and events Banca Intesa, Biagio Carrano, President of Slow Food Convivium in Serbia and Goran Đaković, editor in chief of the Agribusiness magazine.
Banca Intesa has launched a project of Intesa Farmer in 2013 in an effort to highlight the role that agriculture plays in the development of the Serbian economy, but also to recognise the most successful farmers to support its further progress. A strategic commitment of Banca Intesa to the agrarian sector is shown in the fact that in the first three quarters of 2016 the Bank realised 26.7 million euros of investments in registered farms, representing an increase of 43.5 percent compared with the same period last year, while the number of loans for customers increased by about 20 percent.