Pirot-based "Mlekara" to restart production at end of December

- Trial production of Pirot's caciocavallo and cheese in the units of Pirot-based "Mlekara" (Dairy) will start again at the end of December after eight-year break and two unsuccessful privatizations - the representatives of that dairy announced on October 2nd, 2009.

- Production at full capacity would start at the end of February 2010 - Goran Popović, the Chief Manager in "Eko Themann Group", German company that bought Pirot-based dairy for about 600,000 EUR in October 2008, said at the press conference.

He added that the dairy's capacity was 60,000 liters of milk per shift, as well as that over 2m EUR had been invested in its overhaul to the date.

Popović said that 18 people had already been hired, while the employment of another 110 people was in the pipeline. For that purpose, "Mlekara" obtained stimulus funds for employment from the Investment and Export Promotion Agency of Serbia (SIEPA).

- We will indirectly hire more people since our zone of interest includes four municipalities in the Pirot region and the territories of Vlasotince, Crna Trava, Surdulica, Bosilegrad, Svrljig, and Kalna - Popović added.

He explained that those were underdeveloped municipalities with the highest unemployment rates, as well as that the top-quality white cheese and caciocavollo were produced on those territories.

According to his words, Pirot-based dairy plans to introduce HACCP and "halal" certificates.

As he explained, "Mlekara" will be producing Pirot's caciocavollo and white cheese, while certain part of the product portfolio will be sour-milk products that will be mainly sent to local markets.