A trace is an imprint, but also an impression on a certain space and time. Every community is full of them, including ours. The strongest, most beautiful and most painful traces are left by people. Not only in artistic disciplines but in everyday life and circumstances. The snow long ago lost its exclusive property that both animals and people leave their mark in it, be it the first or the last. In the weeks-long apocalypse called “hot days” during which the red alarm did not go off, many also left their traces. Bad. Among the worst is the one related to water supply. People from towns and villages cried out equally on that topic.
According to unofficial data from the “Right to Water” network, during the hottest days, the mouths of citizens in populated areas and Serbian villages where 1.6 million people live: from Topola, Gornji Milanovac, the vicinity of Nis, Brus, Grocka, Barajevo and numerous other places .
In the villages, they have additional problems, even a kind of drama, because water is needed for everything from vegetables, fruits to domestic animals.
For example, just one cow drinks 100 to 150 liters of water per day. Bad news due to high temperatures and lack of water comes from farmers from the Subotica and Zrenjanin areas. Even the heat-loving sunflower raised the “white” flag…
WHERE ARE THE PROBLEMS?
It is not uncommon to hear that the sky is to blame for everything. There is no rain, which is partly true. Along with them, there is not a small number of those who still “ride” on the stories that our country is too rich in drinking water, that is, that even the most severe droughts can “spit” under our window!?
However, those who are better acquainted with the situation in water supply explain that there have been serious disturbances and stoppages in this important area.
The key problems are in the mismanagement of safe drinking water delivery systems.
The same applies to city plants, local and rural water supply systems that are unable to meet basic needs, especially during long-term droughts and other unpredictable weather conditions.
The list of problems includes many items from old and dilapidated pipes with large losses of water, poor maintenance, management and management of these facilities with symbolic investments, up to the fact that many waterworks, through the public-private partnership formula, are handed over to private individuals. All data from the field show that it is a bad experience and that the privatization of water supply will not solve, but create new problems.
Many things indicate that more quality steps are needed for a more serious water supply, especially in the time of upcoming climate changes.
First of all, more serious work on the protection of existing water sources, on more rigorous control of sanitary protection zones in areas where the liquid of life is found, on the construction of a system for the purification of waste water that destroys our rivers and lakes with the support of the “Clean Serbia” project supported by the state.
Despite the fact that it is expensive, the project is expected to speed up its implementation in order to avoid a direct collision with water shortages.
RASPBERRY RESET
Instead of “walking” like many festival stars on the red carpet, the most profitable domestic raspberry fruit has been in spasms for the entire season this year.
Despite the fact that bad weather and other unfavorable circumstances cut the crop in half, it did not manage to get close to the optimal purchase price of 350 dinars per kilogram.
Conversations and negotiations with cold storers in the presence of the new Minister of Agriculture often came down to market haggling with one side and the other presenting a myriad of reasons why a fruit brand cannot achieve the expected value.
There were even stories from the area of the so-called conspiracy theory where it was stated that the price of domestic raspberries will depend on the price of the one from Ukraine.
I remember when that unfortunate war started that one of our private individuals, in explaining the increase in parking space prices, attributed it to the events in Ukraine. It is not madness, but impudence and entrepreneurial audacity.
By the way, at the largest and oldest domestic exhibition of the producers of this fruit tree, “Raspberry Day” in Brankovina near Valjevo, voices of concern were heard from both raspberry growers and experts.
Many producers estimate that due to the constant uncertainty and blackmailing of purchase prices, only those who have no other alternative will grow raspberries.
In order for this production to survive and be improved, it is estimated, a serious reset is needed for everyone in the chain, from farmers, buyers to exporters.
In the near future, raspberries will soon lose the epithet of “red gold”. And the sky and aliens will not be to blame for that trace, but those who created one of the most prestigious fruit trees in the world from this once ornamental plant.
IT DOES TURN AROUND
In the sector of domestic agriculture, there are often unexpected situations and surprises, better to say traces, prints and impressions.
For example, at the recently organized “public hearing” under the roof of the National Assembly on projections of future agricultural budgets, a large number of representatives of agricultural organizations and associations were invited, even those opposed on many issues.
Literally everyone came, but the new Minister of Agriculture was the only one who did not attend that “hearing”.
Considering the number of people in the cabinets of all ministries, it is not difficult to find a replacement, but this case left a bad impression both among farmers and the public.
In addition to other things, the gathering did not discuss the lackluster performance of our football players at the completed European Championship, but rather how to better support domestic food producers.
And that at a time when potentially serious export deals are being made and signed for two mega markets, China and recently Egypt.
The good news these days has reached the addresses of local farmers. Namely, from the Republic Directorate for Commodity Reserves and based on the conclusion of the Government of Serbia, they made a decision to purchase 30,000 tons of grain, that is, wheat from this year’s harvest.
The offered price is 24 dinars per kilogram, which is significantly higher than the stock price. Farmers hope that there will be more actions like this and that they too will finally have a reason to rub their hands together. Do you?!
By the way, hardly any activity has as many traces, prints, impressions, announcements and messages as agriculture.
One of the key reasons for such a thing is that everything is alive in it. Everything moves, opens and closes the cyclical circles of life.
However, despite all good intentions, she cannot avoid bad prints and impressions. He protects himself as much as he can, especially from those, as the great poet said, “who exude inhumanity”!!!
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Source: www.agromedia.rs
