The subsidiary Friško plans to produce between 700 and 800 tonnes of tomato in one cycle in the greenhouse, which is expected to be constructed by 15 September and see the first tomato plants grow in October.

Kristjan Magdič of Friško has told the STA that small sorts of tomato will be grown in the greenhouse, to be built in the industrial zone in the nearby Velika Polana.

The amount of produce will be lower but it will be commercially interesting as it will be grown off-season, he added.

The investment, which is expected to employ between 20 and 25 people, has won a EUR 1.7 million state subsidy from the Agency for Agricultural Markets and Rural Development.

EUR 3.5 million has been secured with bank loans and the rest of the project will be financed by the company's own funds.

The 3.7 hectare plot where the greenhouse will stand, purchased in the autumn of 2016, will also feature auxiliary buildings and a reservoir for rainwater, which will be used to irrigate the greenhouse.

Friško plans to build another two greenhouses - in Beltinci, which is in the process of obtaining a building permit, and in Kobilje, for which land has been purchased from the local authorities.