The Croatian Chamber of Agriculture (HPK) and the Small Croatian Producer (MHP) cluster are launching a project to sell goods from producers in earthquake-hit areas, inviting them to contact the HPK to help them, the HPK said on Monday.

HPK president Mladen Jakopovic said HPK members from areas hit by the 29 December tremor “have huge problems” in making and selling their goods.

He is confident that Croatian consumers will recognise the importance of this project and help the farmers and producers affected by buying quality local products.

Marko Spiljar, director of MHP Alimentum Trade, said that after the earthquake this company and its partners, “retail leaders in Croatia,” launched an initiative to sell local products more quickly and more easily.

The Chamber and the cluster said their role would be to buy and prepare consumer goods for the market on a regular basis.

The HPK and MHP Alimentum Trade said they planned to organise a packaging centre for food products. Spoljar said they expected the centre to require a maximum 200 square metres in size to meet the target of selling the goods of some 50 producers.

MHP will market the goods under its own name.

The whole procedure will be done free of charge for producers, Spolar said.