September 27, 2005
Embassy of the United States of America
Belgrade

Ambassador Michael C. Polt to visit the Milkop milk processing facility in Raška

On Thursday, September 29th, the U.S. Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, Michael C. Polt, will visit the Milkop milk processing facility in Raska. The facility owned by Bojan Premovic serves as an example of the successful development of a small enterprise. Milkop was assisted by the Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CRDA) program funded by the American people, with the aim of fostering local economic development and providing new employment opportunities. The Milkop facility is one of several hundred small enterprises in Serbia that received assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Milkop facility has collaborated closely with Mercy Corps International (MCI), a USAID partner under CRDA since the end of 2003, when they created a development plan. As part of this plan, in 2004 USAID delivered $64,000 of modern milk processing equipment to Milkop, while Milkop itself contributed $276,000 in additional inputs. Since then, Milkop has increased the quantity of processed milk six times, employed five times as many workers, and bought milk from 1,400 farmers. The majority of the farmers supplying milk to Milkop are Bosnjaks from Novi Pazar, Tutin and Sjenica. Milkop is only one of many successful small businesses that USAID and the US government are supporting. In addition, the Milkop facility shows how local economic development can support collaboration among different ethnic groups.

USAID's CRDA program is part of the US government’s effort to assist the Serbian people in solving problems in their community, to foster local economic development, to create new jobs, and to contribute to the overall development of Serbian society. To date, 25 projects totaling $1.8 million have been completed in the Raska municipality through the CRDA program. All projects have been joint investments implemented through cooperation among citizens, business owners and local authorities of the Raska municipality with USAID and its partner, Mercy Corps International.

For more information, please contact Rados Kandic, Mercy Corps International Public Relations Manager, at 063/324-816 or rkandic@mercycorps.org.yu.

Journalists interested in covering the visit are kindly asked to be at the Milkop facility on Thursday, September 29th, Naselje bb, Raska, at 10:45 a.m.

From Left to Right: Ambassador Michael C. Polt; Bojan Premovic, owner of Milkop Dairy; Mazen Fawzy, Chief of Party, CRDA/Mercy Corps

S leva na desno: ambasador Majkl K. Polt; Bojan Premović, vlasnik mlekare Milkop; Mejzen Fauzi, šef CRDA/Mercy Corps

Ambassador Polt with employees of Milkop Dairy

Ambasador Polt sa zaposlenima u mlekari Milkop

27. septembar 2005
Ambasada Sjedinjenih Američkih Država
Beograd

Ambasador Majkl Polt u poseti mlekari Milkop iz Raške

U četvrtak, 29. septembra, Ambasador Sjedinjenih Američkih Država u Srbiji i Crnoj Gori, Majlk Polt, obići će mlekaru Milkop iz Raske. Mlekara u vlasnistvu Bojana Premovića sluzi kao primer za brz razvoj malih preduzeća. Milkop je pomognut sredstvima naroda SAD kroz program Revitalizacija zajednice demokratskim delovanjem (CRDA) kako bi se pomogao lokalni ekonomski razvoj i otvorila nova radna mesta. Mlekara Milkop je jedno od nekoliko stotina malih preduzeća u Srbiji čiji je razvoj pomogao USAID.

Mlekara Milkop je preko USAID-ovog partnera, međunarodne organizacije za pomoć i razvoj Mrsi Korps (Mercy Corps), krajem 2003. godine pristupila intenzivnom razvoju kroz CRDA program. Tokom 2004, USAID je Milkopu isporučio savremenu opremu za preradu mleka vrednu 64.000 dolara, a sama mlekara je u ovaj razvojni projekat paralelno uložila 276.000 dolara. Od tada Milkop je uspeo šest puta povećati obim prerade mleka, uposliti pet puta više radnika i postati sigurno tržište za oko 1400 proizvođača mleka. Većina novih kooperanata, koji Milkop snabdevaju mlekom jesu Bošnjaci iz opština Novi Pazar, Tutin i Sjenica. Ovaj projekat je samo jedan od primera uspešnosti napora koje USAID i vlada SAD preduzimaju kako bi pomogli razvoj ekonomije i otvaranje novih radnih mesta u Srbiji. Takođe, Milkop mlekara je pokazala kako ekonomski razvoj može spojiti ljude koji grade zdravu saradnju među različitim etničkim grupama.

USAID-ov program Revitalizacija zajednice demokratskim delovanjem (CRDA) deo je nastojanja SAD da narodu u Srbiji pruži podršku u razvoju društva i rešavanju gorućih problema, naročito u razvoju ekonomije i otvaranju novih radnih mesta. Samo u opštini Raška do sada je u okviru CRDA programa ostvareno 25 projekata vrednih oko 1,8 miliona dolara. Svi projekti ostvareni su zajedničkim investiranjem i partnerskom saradnjom građana, privrednika i lokalnih vlasti opštine Raška sa USAID-om i njegovim partnerom za implementaciju, Mrsi Korpsom (Mercy Corps).

Za više informacija, molimo vas kontaktirajte Radoša Kandića, menadžera Mercy Corps-a za odnose sa javnošću na telefon 063/324-816 ili na elektronsku poštu rkandic@mercycorps.org.yu.

Novinari zainteresovani za praćenje posete, pozvani su da u četvrtak, 29. septembra 2005., budu prisutni, u mlekari Milkop, naselje Vlasovo bb, Raška, u 10:45 časova.

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