Slavonia - Economy and Transport

Economy and Transport

See also: Economy of Croatia and Transport in Croatia

The economy of Slavonia is largely based on wholesale and retail trade and processing industry. Food processing is one of the most significant types of the processing industries in the region, supporting agricultural production in the area and encompassing meat packing, fruit and vegetable processing, sugar refining, confectionery and dairy industry. In addition, there are wineries in the region that are significant to economy of Croatia. Other types of the processing industry significant to Slavonia are wood processing, including production of furniture, cellulose, paper and cardboard; metalworking, textile industry and glass production. Transport and civil engineering are two further significant economic activities in Slavonia. The largest industrial centre of Slavonia is Osijek, followed by other county seats—Slavonski Brod, Virovitica, Požega and Vukovar, as well as several other cities, especially Vinkovci.

The gross domestic product (GDP) of the five counties in Slavonia combined (in year 2008) amounted to 6,454 million euro, or 8,005 euro per capita—27.5% below Croatia's national average. The GDP of the five counties represented 13.6% of Croatia's GDP. Several Pan-European transport corridors run through Slavonia: corridor Vc as the A5 motorway, corridor X as the A3 motorway and a double-track railway spanning Slavonia from west to east, and corridor VII—the Danube River waterway. The waterway is accessed through the Port of Vukovar, the largest Croatian river port, situated on the Danube itself, and the Port of Osijek on the Drava River, 14.5 kilometres (9.0 miles) away from confluence of the rivers.

Another major sector of the economy of Slavonia is agriculture, which also provides part of the raw materials for the processing industry. Out of 1,077,403 hectares (2,662,320 acres) of utilized agricultural land in Croatia, 493,878 hectares (1,220,400 acres), or more than 45%, are found in Slavonia, with the largest portion of the land situated in the Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Syrmia counties. The largest areas are used for production of cereals and oilseeds, covering 574,916 hectares (1,420,650 acres) and 89,348 hectares (220,780 acres) respectively. Slavonia's share in Croatia's agriculturally productive land is greatest in the production of cereals (53.5%), legumes (46.8%), oilseeds (88.8%), sugar beet (90%), tobacco (97.9%), plants used in pharmaceutical or perfume industry (80.9%), flowers, seedlings and seeds (80.3%) and plants used in the textile industry (69%). Slavonia also contributes 25.7% of cattle, 42.7% of pigs and 20% of the poultry stock of Croatia. There are 5,138 hectares (12,700 acres) of vineyards in Slavonia, representing 18.6% of total vineyards area in Croatia. Production of fruit and nuts also takes up a significant agricultural area. Apple orchards cover 1,261 hectares (3,120 acres), representing 42.3% of Croatia's apple plantations, plums are produced in orchards encompassing 450 hectares (1,100 acres) or 59.7% of Croatia's plum plantations and hazelnut orchards cover 319 hectares (790 acres), which account for 72.4% of hazelnut plantations in Croatia. Other significant permanent crops are cherries, pears, peaches and walnuts.

Counties of Slavonia by GDP, in million Euro
County	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Brod-Posavina	575	643	699	717	782	786	869	931	1,074	968
Osijek-Baranja	1,370	1,499	1,699	1,710	1,884	1,999	2,193	2,538	2,844	2,590
Požega-Slavonia	337	371	395	428	456	472	484	541	557	510
Virovitica-Podravina	378	434	465	478	493	497	584	616	661	561
Vukovar-Syrmia	651	723	795	836	889	964	1,098	1,144	1,318	1,180
Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics

Counties of Slavonia by GDP per capita, in Euro
County	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Brod-Posavina	3,260	3,633	3,955	4,065	4,452	4,487	4,972	5,345	6,183	5,606
Osijek-Baranja	4,147	4,537	5,149	5,199	5,750	6,127	6,757	7,875	8,871	8,112
Požega-Slavonia	3,934	4,320	4,610	5,020	5,383	5,605	5,786	6,505	6,750	6,229
Virovitica-Podravina	4,045	4,654	5,016	5,176	5,410	5,485	6,497	6,923	7,485	6,399
Vukovar-Syrmia	3,184	3,528	3,903	4,127	4,414	4,807	5,501	5,756	6,647	5,974
Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics

In 2010, only two companies headquartered in Slavonia ranked among top 100 Croatian companies—Belje, agricultural industry owned by Agrokor, and Belišće, paper mill and paper packaging material factory, headquartered in Darda and Belišće respectively, both in Osijek-Baranja County. Belje ranks as the 44th and Belišće as the 99th largest Croatian company by income. Other significant businesses in the county include civil engineering company Osijek-Koteks (rank 103), Saponia detergent and personal care product factory (rank 138), Biljemerkant retail business (rank 145), and Našicecement cement plant (rank 165), a part of Nexe Grupa construction product manufacturing company. Sugar refining company Viro, ranked the 101st and headquartered in Virovitica, is the largest company in Virovitica-Podravina County. Đuro Đaković Montaža d.d., a part of metal processing industry Đuro Đaković Holding of Slavonski Brod, ranks the 171st among the Croatian companies and it is the largest business in Brod-Posavina County. Another agricultural industry company, Kutjevo d.d., headquartered in Kutjevo, is the largest company in Požega-Slavonia County, ranks the 194th in Croatia by business income. Finally, the largest company by income in Vukovar-Syrmia county is another Agrokor owned agricultural production company—Vupik, headquartered in Vukovar, and ranking the 161st among the companies headquartered in Croatia.