The Future of Slavonia – Breeding the Black Slavonian Pig

One of the hidden treasures of Vukovar-Srijem County is a very interesting family farm owned by Vlado Ferbežar. Vlado is not an ordinary Slavonian pig breeder—his production stands out in many ways compared to the Croatian average! The Ferbežar Family Farm from Otok takes pride in its traditional Slavonian products, prepared in the traditional way but enhanced with a modern approach and technology. Slavonian kulen, sausages, ham, cracklings, and bacon are just a small part of its extensive production and sales assortment. To ensure exceptionally high product quality, only the finest raw materials are used, sourced from pigs raised on the estate at the edge of an oak forest.

The pigs raised on this estate, which is a traditional Šokac farmstead, live outdoors and roam freely on the ground (without concrete). This method of breeding ensures top-quality meat with a sufficient amount of fat content. The Black Slavonian pig bred here undergoes the same rearing and feeding process, which guarantees a high proportion of lard in each animal—considered healthy for consumption. This pig breed is not raised on a large scale, but only in quantities sufficient for in-house processing into premium-quality products. No pig farming is possible without a well-organized farrowing unit, and at the Ferbežar Family Farm it is modern, meeting all high hygienic and technological standards.

Since the farmstead is located on the edge of a forest, the required energy is supplied from renewable sources such as wind turbines and solar panels. At the Ferbežar Family Farm, they raise Duroc and Yorkshire pigs, but they are especially proud of their production of the Black Slavonian pig, from which they create as many as 40 different traditional cured meat products. The superior quality of these products is confirmed by the fact that last November Vlado was invited to present his renowned Slavonian kulen in Brussels. The invitation came as both a surprise and an honor, allowing him to showcase a part of Slavonian tradition to Europe in the best possible light. Each year, he produces around 10,000 kulens, amounting to ten tons of products.