The Parliamentary Committee for Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management adopted the proposal to rebalance the budget of Serbia, according to which the budget for agriculture would amount to 125.7 billion dinars. The largest part of this amount, 105.7 billion dinars to be exact, is planned for subsidies to farmers. This budget represents 6.7% of the total budget of the Republic of Serbia, and subsidies make up a significant part of state benefits, with a share of about 49.3% in total subsidies.
The main part of subsidies, worth 85.1 billion dinars, refers to direct payments to producers. These subsidies include milk premiums, incentives for crop and livestock production, as well as recourse benefits, which directly help farmers to continue production under increasingly challenging conditions. This budget rebalancing comes at a time when farmers are facing financial difficulties caused by drought and rising prices of raw materials, which is why subsidies are of key importance for stabilizing the sector.
How will the new budget rebalancing be applied?
In addition, the Committee recommended to the Ministry of Agriculture that in the development of the future Strategy for the development of agriculture and rural development for the period from 2025 to 2032, the main goal should be the restoration of food sovereignty of Serbia and ensuring food security for domestic consumers. It was recommended that domestic experts play a dominant role in the development of the strategy. This includes agricultural faculties, institutes and experts from the agricultural and processing industry. It was emphasized that it is not appropriate that companies from Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the development of the framework for this strategy. At the same time, only four out of 24 experts were hired from Serbia. Greater involvement of domestic experts is recommended in order to ensure an adequate approach to the development of the agricultural sector.
The proposal to amend the Law on the Budget of the RS for Section 24 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry was also adopted. In this way, additional funds were allocated for the improvement of agriculture. This law is part of the broader plan of the Government of Serbia to ensure the long-term sustainability of agriculture through greater investments and support for agricultural producers.
Finally, it was emphasized that the increase in subsidies could significantly contribute to the improvement of the position of farmers in Serbia. This is especially the case in the context of increasingly difficult climate conditions and the need to modernize the sector. The participation of the state in the financing of agricultural activities remains crucial for future development and ensuring stable food production in the country.
Source: AgroTV
Source: boljazemlja.com
