• It’s been eight months since you took office as the Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection. There have been some developments since then, among which is the 8.2 per cent budget increase for agriculture compared to 2016. Are you happy with the results so far? - I am happy with the results, but there is always room for improvement. I believe in my team and I expect that we will achieve our goals and that they will be visible. The budget increase for agriculture and environmental protection is surely an important step, considering the budget cuts two years previously. This year’s budget for the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection is 43.8 billion dinars, which is 8.2% higher than in 2016. The largest part of the funds, as much as 60%, is earmarked for agricultural and rural development subsidies, which means that these funds will be going directly to farms, in various forms. More importantly, perhaps, the subsidies have increased by some 10% compared to last year, amounting to 26.3 billion dinars. They include direct payments, support for rural development, credit lines and special subsidies. In my opinion, the increase in the subsidies is far more important, because they provide direct support to the farms and have direct effects on their productivity.
and with me personally. They are all interested in farming and investing in agricultural production. • The ministry has earmarked four times as much money for rural development this year than last. What measures are you planning and what are their objectives? - We wanted a development and investment agriculture
• The deadline for exercising the priority right of lease of about 170,000 hectares of state-owned land for up to 30 years expired recently. Was there great interest? When will these types of investment be made public? This year’s budget for the Ministry of Agriculture - The government has made 30% of state-owned arable land availand Environmental Protection is 43.8 billion dinars, which is able for lease. There is no obli8.2% higher than in 2016 gation to lease all acreages in a public tender. Only those apbudget that would support farming that has a long- or proved by the Committee, in accordance with general medium-term perspective on market. The aim of the and special rules and included by the local government ministry is to increase farmers’ competitiveness, cut their unit in its annual programmes, will be leased. We have costs and increase their income. Bearing this in mind, we received 219 applications, which have all been taken into have secured the highest increase in funding for rural consideration by the Committee. Judging by the number development (i.e. investment support) of 2.2 billion dinars, of applications, we can say that interest was high but which is four times as much as last year. also not unexpected by the ministry. The applications As regards budget funds for rural development, we are now being reviewed and checked. have earmarked 3.8 billion dinars, or 25% more than last year. About 50% of these funds have been earmarked • Over the past several months you have travelled across for subsidies to help boost competitiveness, which is 2.4 almost the whole of Serbia. What are your impressions? times more than in 2015. This group of measures aims to Is the interest in agriculture growing and which branches improve farms’ competitiveness by investing in primary are particularly popular? production and processing, including investment in new - The interest in investing in agricultural production is orchards, procurement of new tractors, building and obvious, and I’m very pleased about that. More and more fitting out new facilities and procurement of equipment people want to get in touch with the ministry’s services AGRIBUSINESS LAND IS EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS
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