Every city has its own story. One of them, on the banks of the Zeta River, hides a story about the wild pomegranate.
The favourable Mediterranean climate, the abundant sunshine, along with suitable soil characteristics, favour the cultivation of wild pomegranate.
In Pažići, Danilovgrad, you will find the “Boja Nara”(The Colour of a Pomegranate) juice factory.
Božidar Brajović has been involved in the production of homemade juice for twenty years. This is how he spends his retirement with the help of his family. During the first year, he grafted 300 pomegranate trees, and the following year another 300. Soon, they started producing pomegranate juice.
“Wild pomegranate is a marvellous plant,” says the owner of the juice factory, Božidar, with a smile. He goes on to explain that “pomegranate juice has more antioxidants than most other fruit juices. It is attributed with anticancer properties and many other benefits. It also acts as an antibacterial agent.”
However, the path to success was not easy. They took it step by step, and with the support of the European Union through the IPARD programme, they turned a small nursery garden into a family business.
Thanks to IPARD, the Brajović family built a facility and modernised their production. They also acquired modern equipment for fruit and vegetable processing.
“We started with wooden boards, then we made a manual press… then we made a slightly bigger one. Thanks to the support of the EU through the IPARD programme, we now have a press that meets our needs,” explains Božidar.
The company is engaged in fruit and vegetable processing and the production of natural juices, with pomegranate as the raw material in 80 percent of their products. They also own a plantation of wild and cultivated pomegranate covering an area of about 8,000 m2 in Jelenak. They make juices from blueberries, raspberries, pomegranates, beets, carrots, apples, and they purchase all the other products they don’t have.
However, “Boja Nara” juices are much more than just a beverage. They are the story of love for nature and the preservation of traditional values. The Brajović family takes pride in promoting local resources and preserving tradition. Their pomegranate juice has become recognisable for its quality and authentic taste that takes you back in time, to the era when fruits were processed manually, with love and care.
