A family from Novi Pazar grows the rarest berries in the Balkans: Black goji - highly medicinal and profitable

Black goji berries are renowned for their medicinal properties and face almost no competition in Serbia, making this family&rsquo;s greenhouse truly unique.Most people are familiar with the red goji berry of Asian origin, but on the outskirts of Novi Pazar, a rare black variety is thriving. It is more demanding to grow, according to its producers, significantly more powerful for human health.The Skenderović family &mdash; father Ra&scaron;o, son Damir, wife, and sister-in-law &mdash; tends to over 500 black goji plants daily, cultivating what is believed to be the only such plantation in the region.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know of anything else in the world that raises blood counts as well as black goji berries,&rdquo; says Ra&scaron;o Skenderović, as reported by RINA.The most common buyers are cancer patientsRINAIn Serbia, black goji berries are not yet officially listed as a recognized variety and are classified simply as &ldquo;berries.&rdquo; Despite the lack of state recognition, demand is rising, with most buyers being cancer patients.&ldquo;Most of the people who come to me are sick. We dry the berries, grind them, and mix them with homemade honey. We also make tea from the leaves, which helps the liver and improves blood counts,&rdquo; Ra&scaron;o explains.Their production is strictly organic, relying solely on manure, nettles, and natural fertilizers from pigeons and chickens, with no chemicals involved.Berries picked with tweezersUnlike the red variety, black goji berries must be picked with tweezers.&ldquo;The berries are tiny and delicate; they can&rsquo;t be touched by hand. Water is another challenge; not a single drop should be excessive. If the root lies in water, the plant dries out,&rdquo; says Ra&scaron;o.RINAThis year, they expect up to 170 kilograms of fruit, which is considered a major success for a plantation that is only four years old.From &ldquo;experimental laboratory&rdquo; to family businessWhen Ra&scaron;o started in 2021, he was a pioneer.&ldquo;There was no literature; no one in Serbia was doing it seriously. I tested two different cultivation methods in the same greenhouse, compared them, took notes, and learned from my mistakes,&rdquo; recalls this hardworking grower from Novi Pazar.Today, his greenhouse serves both as an &ldquo;experimental laboratory&rdquo; and a family business. Samples of black goji have even been sent to the Faculty of Agriculture in Belgrade, where scientists are studying its composition and potential in treating serious illnesses.Goji ripens graduallyAll family members contribute to the work: watering, fertilizing, and hoeing. Damir&rsquo;s son notes with fascination that the plant blossoms, fruits, and ripens at the same time on a single branch.&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t seen that anywhere else. It&rsquo;s fascinating. On one branch, you have a bud, a flower, and a ripe berry. Every day there&rsquo;s something new to pick, it ripens gradually, not all at once,&rdquo; he says.Although there is no formal buying network, demand is growing steadily. Customers call directly, ask questions, and come to purchase seedlings for gardens, terraces, or to begin larger-scale production.&ldquo;I was the first to start, and I&rsquo;m proud of that,&rdquo; Ra&scaron;o emphasizes.In a country where most fruit growers focus on raspberries, blackberries, and aronia, the Skenderović family has taken a bold step toward an unexplored plant, one they believe in strongly, above all because of its health potential.

A family from Novi Pazar grows the rarest berries in the Balkans: Black goji - highly medicinal and profitable

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