Marko Iličić

Croatia, Alilovci near Požega

Family farm, own farm

Various vegetables

“Nothing is more beautiful than freedom, and freedom is when you work on the land and produce food.”

That is what the start-up support provided by the “Young Farmer” programme, funded under the CAP is for. It is there to help young people like Marko Iličić from Alilovaci when they are at a crossroads in life, like he was hesitating whether to be a carpenter or a farmer. Because he had completed his carpentry school and won awards at handicraft competitions, but he had also completed his agricultural school and was looking for a successor to his grandfather Anđelko's family farm.
Marko has been involved in agriculture from a young age. Alilovci is famous for its cabbage, as are Ogulin on the border of Lika and Gorski Kotar, and Varaždin. It is hard to say whether the place has any special geographical advantages for this type of cultivation, but it is widely believed that it thrives better here than in the surrounding villages. In 2021 a big storm destroyed all the family greenhouses that spread on 2,000 square meters. Since then, most of the production - practically all kinds of vegetables - is open-air. Yet, Marko and anyone else in his situation can apply to and benefit from the dedicated annual agricultural reserve funding emergency support packages for farmers hit by severe frosts, droughts, heatwaves, floods and other disasters. Oftentimes, national governments complement this EU funding with national state aid.
Marko took over his grandfather's farm and cultivated his own 10 hectares of land. He was also approved for state land, where he was granted a lease of another 20 hectares, so he tripled the area and expanded the plantations of cabbage, potatoes, leeks, broccoli, parsley, peppers, celery and other vegetables. Everything he produces is bought by the local shopping center, and he sells some on his doorstep as well.
He is well equipped with machinery, which is mostly new; installed an autopilot on one of his older tractors to make work easier and bought a vegetable seeder.
When asked if one can make a living from agriculture, Marko is very clear: whoever wants to, is able to. He is convinced it takes effort and work to succeed, but without full dedication there will not be good results. And in his opinion agriculture is a particularly good choice for young people.

His message:

“Talent? How does God distribute it and to whom? I think that the most important are will, work and effort.”