In the untouched nature of the village of Parlozi, at the crossroads of Teslić, Čelinac, and Prnjavor municipalities, lies the farm of Zoran Pajić.
What started seven years ago with just one goat has now grown into a thriving herd of 60 animals. Once dubbed "poor man's cows," these goats have proven to be a true treasure. The workload is so demanding that the entire family has joined in to keep the farm running smoothly.
"Since goat's milk has a distinctive smell and taste, we chose the best breed—the French Alpine goat. My responsibility is to take them to pasture daily and provide them with blackberry leaves and dried nettle, their favorite foods," says Pajić. He adds that goat's milk is gaining popularity for a good reason.
CHEMICAL-FREE PRODUCTS
When not tending to the goats, Pajić handles sales, sometimes even at fairs. We caught up with him at the 4th Agriculture and Rural Creativity Fair in Stanari, where around 20 exhibitors from Republika Srpska showcased their products. He emphasizes that without promoting small-scale producers, it is hard to survive and reach customers.
In addition to classic white and smoked cheeses, Pajić offers varieties with turmeric, crushed peppers, sesame, parsley, basil, and olives.
"My wife is in charge of cheesemaking. In this region, Doboj and Stanari locals mostly buy sesame and smoked cheese. Once a week, I deliver to Banja Luka, where customers don’t mind the variety as long as there’s cheese. In Teslić, white and smoked cheese are the most popular," explains Zoran.
Goat milk products are highly valued and considered the healthiest dairy products.
"This is pure biology, without a gram of chemicals. Goat's milk has anti-cancer, antibacterial, and anti-allergy properties. Its composition is the closest to human breast milk and is digested in about 40 minutes, unlike cow's milk, which takes 2-3 hours," Pajić points out.
WHEY FOR LIVER DETOXIFICATION
Goat whey, according to Pajić, helps detoxify the body and strengthens the immune system.
"People with liver and lung problems often tell me that after consuming 30 liters of whey, their doctor can’t believe the improvement—liver damage reduced from 80.5% to just 8%," he recounts.
However, Pajić admits that production is not very profitable.
"The current price of cheese is 20 KM per kilogram, and that’s how we’ll end this season. Milk is 4 KM, kefir is also 4 KM, and whey is 2 KM per liter. Next year, we’ll see what the prices will be," he says.
SUPPORTING LOCAL PRODUCERS
Promoting local producers is the main goal of the Stanari Agriculture and Rural Creativity Fair.
"We aim to promote small producers who create on their farms, with some form of assistance or professional support, so that we achieve high-quality products that buyers can see and producers can find their niche in the market," says Mihajlo Gavrić, Director of the Stanari Development Agency.
In the youngest municipality of Republika Srpska, 67 agricultural households are registered.