Pomegranates, figs, Japanese apples, entered Macedonia about a hundred years ago, and the beginnings of growing Mediterranean and southern fruit crops in the former Yugoslavia and Macedonia are in Valandovo.
The entry of southern crops in the 1920s not only opened the worldview of the inhabitants of this area but also significantly influenced the overall socio-economic and cultural development of the wider region of Valandovo.
The openness and historical cultural diversification of the Valandovo region are crucial in choosing this region for experimentation and planting the first plantations with Mediterranean and southern fruits in Macedonia.
Watch the documentary made by the Center for Contemporary Arts Skopje in cooperation with the Association Alpha Mathematics from the village Pirava, Valandovo and the High School for Agriculture “Goce Delchev” from Valandovo, that aims to preserve for future generations the memory of the beginnings of growing Mediterranean fruit crops in Macedonia.
This video is part of a series of activities of the local initiative which provides for marking the area with information and educational boards where the first green-house and the first plantations were located as well as marking the oldest Japanese apple trees in Macedonia. If the epidemiological conditions allow, a public promotion will be organized as well as a discussion on the impact of the innovations in agriculture in the local cultural development context.
The local initiative is financially supported by the Foundation Open Society Macedonia and the Ministry of Culture of RNM.
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9 August 2021