WHAT DOES “ROMANIJA HOUSE” OFFER TO LOCALS AND VISITORS?

The “Romanija House” has officially opened in Sokolac, becoming a new centre dedicated to rural development, promotion and branding of the Romanija region.

PHOTO: SRNA

The project, valued at approximately KM 350,000, is designed to bring together agricultural producers from the Sarajevo-Romanija region, with a particular focus on producers from Sokolac.

TOURISM AND AGRICULTURE AT THE HEART OF THE PROJECT

Sokolac Mayor Strahinja Bašević said the municipality has based its development on three key potentials – tourism, agriculture and the wood-processing industry.

According to him, the concept of the “Romanija House” combines two of these important areas – agriculture and tourism.

Bašević said the idea for the project emerged about a year and a half ago and has now been fully put into operation, creating a dedicated place where local producers can present and sell their products.

He expressed gratitude to the Agromediterranean Institute from Bari, which financed the largest part of the construction, as well as the Cabinet of Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Staša Košarac, from which the initiative for the project originated.

He also thanked Republika Srpska Prime Minister Savo Minić for his support, which helped complete the project and create opportunities for its further development, including the planned construction of a mini dairy and a mobile slaughterhouse.

A SECURE MARKET FOR LOCAL PRODUCERS

One of the main goals of the “Romanija House” is to provide local farmers with greater security when it comes to selling their products.

Bašević emphasized that producers should have confidence that everything they produce can find its way to the market through this new centre.

The facility is therefore expected to serve not only as a sales point, but also as a platform for promoting the region's agricultural production and strengthening the identity of Romanija products.

ITALIAN EXPERIENCE AS AN INSPIRATION

Deputy Ambassador of Italy to Bosnia and Herzegovina Ricardo Rigelli stressed that producing high-quality products is only part of the process.

“It is important to know how to produce excellent products, but it is also important to promote and brand them,” Rigelli said.

He expressed hope that, within the next decade, products from the “Romanija House” could become competitive with products from Emilia-Romagna, the Italian region he comes from.

MORE THAN 30 ORGANIC CERTIFIED PRODUCTS

Organic production will also have an important place in the new centre.

Dragana Zec, Head of the Department for Organic Production at the Republika Srpska Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, said the project was designed to encourage farmers to switch to organic production.

Through the project, equipment has been donated to organic producers, with plans to bring more than 30 processed, organically certified products to the market.

This could further strengthen the offer of the “Romanija House” and provide visitors with an opportunity to discover locally produced food from the region.

ROMANIJA HONEY GETS PROTECTED ORIGIN

The opening of the facility is particularly significant for beekeepers from the Sokolac area.

Goran Nešković, President of the “Glasinac” Beekeepers Association in Sokolac, said the “Romanija House” now provides beekeepers and other agricultural producers with a place where they can present and sell their products.

He also pointed out that Romanija beekeepers obtained protected designation of origin for Romanija honey this year.

With the opening of the new centre, he said, an important process of protecting, promoting and marketing local products has been brought together in one place.

A NEW HUB FOR ROMANIJA PRODUCTS

The “Romanija House” is envisioned as a key centre for rural development, local production and the branding of Romanija.

In addition to the existing facilities, further investments are planned, including the construction of a mini dairy.

The project could therefore become an important link between local producers and consumers, while offering visitors to Sokolac and Romanija an opportunity to discover authentic regional products and learn more about the agricultural tradition of this mountain area.