OVD - Ovocinárske Družstvo

OVD - Ovocinárske Družstvo is a Slovak fruit-growing cooperative based in Dvory nad Žitavou, in the Nitra region. It was formally entered into the Commercial Register on 24 March 2004, when the former association of agri-entrepreneurs was split into four independent entities. The cooperative continues a much longer orchard tradition in the village: intensive fruit growing began in 1966 with the planting of apples, apricots, peaches and pears, and was expanded in the 1980s and 1990s with new orchards, irrigation and cold storage. Today OVD farms 228 hectares of orchards. Its core crops include apples, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, cherries and sour cherries. The cooperative operates its own cold-storage facilities, including a 1,000-tonne freon-cooled store and a modern 1,200-tonne ULO store, as well as a water-channel grading line. Fruit is graded and packed for sale to retail chains in Slovakia and abroad. OVD is a member of the sales association SK-Fruit and has sought ISO 9001:2000 certification to meet retail supply requirements. The cooperative is led by chairman Emil Schultz, a long-serving employee and one of the founders of the orchards in Dvory nad Žitavou. As an agricultural cooperative, OVD is privately held and does not trade on a stock exchange. Its business is focused on primary fruit production, storage, grading and wholesale supply rather than consumer-branded packaged goods.

Intensive fruit growing in Dvory nad Žitavou dates back to 1966, when the local farmers' cooperative began planting its first orchards: 45 hectares of apples, 18 hectares of apricots, 9 hectares of peaches and 5 hectares of pears. In 1971 a cold-storage warehouse with a capacity of 1,000 tonnes, based on freon cooling, was built. Orchard expansion resumed in 1986–1987 with the planting of apples (Idared, Jonared, Šampión and Golden varieties), apricots, plums, cherries and sour cherries across 151 hectares. In the 1990s, 100 hectares of irrigation from Netafim were installed for apples and peaches, substantially increasing yields. Over time, ageing orchards were gradually removed and replaced with new high-intensity orchards. In the early 1990s the cooperative changed its name and progressively transformed into an agricultural cooperative, later into an association of agri-entrepreneurs. In March 2004 the current fruit-growing cooperative was created by splitting the association of agri-entrepreneurs into four separate entities. OVD - Ovocinárske družstvo was entered in the Commercial Register on 24 March 2004. Its chairman is Emil Schultz, a long-serving employee of the cooperative and one of the founders of the fruit orchards in Dvory nad Žitavou. The cooperative manages 228 hectares of orchards. It has its own 1,000-tonne cold-storage warehouse and a modern ULO-technology warehouse with a capacity of 1,200 tonnes. It owns a water-channel grading line, on which fruit destined for retail shelves at home and abroad is sorted. OVD is a member of the sales association SK-Fruit. To supply retail chains, management decided to obtain ISO 9001:2000 certification.

• 2004

  OVD - Ovocinárske družstvo entered in the Commercial Register on 24 March after split into four entities.

• 1990

  100 ha of Netafim irrigation installed for apples and peaches; cooperative name changes.

• 1986

  Orchard expansion begins with planting of apples, apricots, plums, cherries and sour cherries on 151 ha.

• 1971

  Cold-storage warehouse with 1,000-tonne freon-cooling capacity built.

• 1966

  First orchards planted in Dvory nad Žitavou: 45 ha apples, 18 ha apricots, 9 ha peaches, 5 ha pears.

A grower-owned Slovak fruit cooperative supplying graded, cold-stored orchard fruit to domestic and international retail chains.

• Apples

  Main orchard crop, including Idared, Jonared, Šampión and Golden varieties.

• Apricots

  Grown since the first orchards in 1966.

• Peaches

  Grown since 1966; irrigated from the 1990s.

• Pears

  Grown since the first orchards in 1966.

• Plums

  Planted during the 1986–1987 expansion.

• Cherries and sour cherries

  Planted during the 1986–1987 expansion.

1. 1OVD - Ovocinárske družstvo official websiteovddvory.sk
2. 2Wikidata: OVD - Ovocinárske Družstvo (Slovakia)wikidata.org