The Prime Minister of Serbia, Miloš Vučević, held a meeting with representatives of seven agricultural associations, where several conclusions were reached. Some changes to the law were announced, but not everyone present was satisfied with the result. What is it about? Here, about this.
Law changes announced
The Government of the Republic of Serbia reached an agreement with representatives of agricultural associations on taking steps to resolve their demands. According to the announcement of the Government, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management will be in charge of proposing amendments to the Law on Incentives in Agriculture and Rural Development. The changes are expected to be adopted by mid-October 2024.
One of the key changes refers to Article 31 of the Law, where a provision will be added on the rebate for certified seeds, which will be paid in the amount of up to 17,000 dinars per hectare. Also, it will be proposed to delete the existing amount of 6,000 dinars per hectare from paragraph 3 of Article 31 of the Law. These changes should improve conditions for producers and encourage the use of quality seeds.
By the end of October 2024 at the latest, a public call for rebates for certified seeds will be announced. The modality for solving the problem of using agricultural land without a legal basis, on which property-legal relations have not been resolved, will be determined by the end of September 2024. These measures are part of a broader strategy for the improvement of agriculture.
Also, in this year, one-time incentives will be paid for high-quality first-calf breeding cows and breeding heifers. The incentive for raising first-calf cows is 40,000 dinars per head, while for raising quality heifers aged 12 to 24 months, 60,000 dinars per head is provided. The condition for paying incentives for heifers is that the producer must keep the heifer on the farm for at least three lactations, that is, up to five years of age.
Working group for coordination and other elements of the agreement
The government also announced that it will take measures to limit milk imports by the end of the year to quantities that are similar to or less than last year’s. At the same time, a meeting with the largest oil producers will be organized until the end of July 2024, which will be attended by the Prime Minister, Miloš Vučević. This meeting will focus on improving the export of refined and unrefined oil.
It was proposed to form a working group for the coordination of activities related to commodity market business with agricultural products, which will be established by the end of July 2024 at the latest. Representatives of agricultural associations will be involved in the development of the Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy for the period from 2025 to 2032.
Representatives of agricultural associations emphasized that communication with the Government of Serbia and the Ministry of Agriculture will continue through a constructive dialogue, without protests and going out on the streets. The meeting was attended by the President of the National Assembly Ana Brnabić, Minister of Agriculture Aleksandar Martinović, as well as representatives of various agricultural associations.
Cattle farmers dissatisfied
At a meeting with Prime Minister Vučević, Speaker of the Assembly Brnabić and Minister Martinović, representatives of livestock associations were offered 60,000 dinars per heifer. However, representatives of the association expressed dissatisfaction with this offer.
Milan Pajić from the Association of Producers “Naše mleko Mačva” pointed out that livestock farmers are not satisfied with the offered 60,000 dinars per heifer, considering that according to the previous agreement with the Government of Serbia from last year, the subsidy should have been 100,000 dinars per head. He emphasized that he will consult with other representatives of the association about further steps.
Not all key topics were discussed at the meeting, which is why it was agreed to organize an additional meeting soon to discuss the remaining issues, including the solution to the problem of farmers’ debt to the PIO fund and the regulation of the commodity exchange.
Source: boljazemlja.com
