Customer

Forward, forward, forward

As the year goes into summer, the golden wheat fields give the autonomous province of Vojvodina – which is simply a large area of arable land – a special charm. And in the middle of those fields we find the farm of the Vrebalov family. And quite a few green trailers, all of them transporting “dry gold” along dusty roads.

“We always look ahead with optimism.”

Vrebalov Agrar

Wealth of agricultural land

Vrebalov Agrar d.o.o., which deals with agriculture, storage and sale of raw materials, was founded in 2008, but its beginnings go back to the 17th century, when the family settled in the town of Novi Bečej in Serbia. Marked by many ups and downs, their success story began to develop after 1991 and the return of their assets. “The wealth of Vojvodina is agricultural land. We are very aware of this and we ourselves live with this mentality,” says Nikola Vrebalov, one of the owners of the company. Today, the company employs 90 people and cultivates 4,700 hectares of land in 11 cadastral municipalities. Barley, wheat, rapeseed, soybeans, sunflowers and corn – these are their main crops, which they sell domestically and export abroad. It is their privilege – especially at this time – to have as many as 50,000 tons of storage facilities i.e. grain silos at their disposal. With an organized buyout, they do business with approximately 2,000 cooperators at seven locations.

The well-being of future generations

The Vrebalov family are very well aware of the importance of preserving the land, as the quality of the land they farm on is not the best. “We are a bit handicapped, as only about a tenth of the land is of the highest class, the rest are parcels of lower quality,” says Nikola Vrebalov, adding that this is precisely why they adapt to different cultures. This way they try to optimize the crop yield and, of course, maintain soil fertility. Production is also affected by weather conditions – especially drought. “The weather has been quite unpredictable lately, but that’s something we can’t influence. We regulate the lack of rainfall with irrigation systems, which we have more of every year. Our fight is therefore both with nature and for future generations,” says Nikola Vrebalov. The whole family is involved in the work and operations – the owners of the company are Nikola and Dejan Vrebalov, and their sons Djordje and Jovan are already following in their footsteps. They are representatives of the new generation, who, despite their youth, surprise with their enthusiasm, and drive. “Despite the hard work, we love doing what we do and create. Farming is in our hearts and we want to continue the family tradition,” proudly say the successors, who make sure that everything goes as it should in the fields.

Planned and considered investments

Considering all the dimensions of the cultivated fields and the dynamism of the business, it is necessary to be somewhat organized. Work machines travel within a radius of up to 50 km, so the selection of machinery must be correct, appropriate and adapted to the environment. “Before each investment, we analyze in detail, talk openly, collect proposals, etc. That way, there are fewer chances for errors and irregularities,” the owners say in one voice and emphasize that all decisions are joint and coordinated. And they usually don’t make compromises, because they know exactly what they want before purchasing. “We only buy new powerful machinery, and we of course maintain it, invest in original spare parts – in short, we make sure it’s ready for the most difficult work tasks,” they add. During peak season – sometimes up to 150 hectares are harvested per day – it is all the more important that all machines are technically faultless and suitable for use at all times. “We do what we can ourselves. We have our own workshop and warehouse with spare parts. This way, if they ever break down, our machines are ready again in a flash,” explains Nikola Vrebalov and emphasizes that during winter, when there is no work in the fields, they carefully prepare the machinery for the coming season.

Partnership

Their fleet, made of well-known brands, includes 24 tractors, 5 combines and many other modern machinery for soil preparation and crop harvesting. During the summer months, during the harvest, the temperature gets close to forty degrees, but the machinists don’t pay much attention to that. Tractor and harvester drivers hardly ever leave their air-conditioned cabins, so the harvest is never interrupted. For all transport work from fields that are up to 50 km away they use their fleet of 14 double-axle ZDK 1800 tippers. “The tippers are used as a composition so that each tractor pulls two tippers. This saves time and money by doing just one trip,” says Djordje. All tippers are also equipped with roll-over tarp – the newer ones have hydraulic controls – because the distances are long, the terrain is demanding, and this eliminates the possibility of losing the load. They also still have the two-height tipper of the old Tehnostroj brand, which they use for transporting various loose materials. Since the beginning, their personal contact for procurement has been Farmtech’s authorized dealer Agro-Vesta from Sombor and director Saša Arsić. “The Vrebalov Agrar-Agro-Vesta partnership is a long-standing one. We are true partners, good friends, and whatever we agree on gets done,” says Dejan Vrebalov about the close cooperation, where respect and correctness come first.

Synonymous with tippers: Farmtech

Their experiences with Farmtech machines are mostly positive. “Farmtech is truly synonymous with quality, robustness and durability,” says Nikola Vrebalov. We also asked them about their bad experiences with Farmtech. “During one period, unfortunately, we encountered a series that had some minor problems with the suspension and the rear hitch, but we solved those together,” says Dejan Vrebalov and adds: “We are glad that you as a manufacturer were willing to listen to our suggestions for improvement, and even more glad that you changed your products and included our suggestions in new upcoming versions. At the same time, we are proud and grateful that the new versions of the aforementioned tippers were tested right here, on our fields and in our region, where demanding conditions are the norm,” says Nikola Vrebalov and adds in the same breath: “From our perspective, the new series will be top of the line!” Also in the future, their fleet will be upgraded with the already ordered new version of the ZDK 1800 double-axle tippers, which is the result of joint cooperation and co-creation of the relationship between manufacturer and customer.

Each season is a new challenge

Farming and all the liveliness around it is a way of life for the Vrebalov family. Their hospitality is also impressive. “It’s not always easy, but it’s our motto and that’s how we’ve been taught that there’s no stopping. That’s why we always optimistically look forward, forward, forward. We always strive to be better and more advanced. We believe that we are successful because of all of the above,” Nikola Vrebalov proudly points out. “Many projects lie ahead – including the construction of an additional silo with accompanying facilities,” he adds. For them, each season is a new challenge. “It’s necessary to be responsible and professional, because today’s times do not allow for mistakes and improvisation. We always hope for a good and fruitful year, stable prices, a strong export policy, as well as encouragement from the state and, of course, real partnerships, such as the one with Agro-Vesta and Farmtech,” they agree unanimously. “We all need this kind of cooperation,” they conclude.