BFC. Agriculture Finance Bulletin.
13) IPARD grants could possibly support rural tourism in 2020 January 3rd, 2020, http://www.tanjug.rs/full-view_en.aspx?izb=528851
Serbia’s Ministry of Agriculture has proposed that IPARD funds be extended for two new measures: (1) grants for investments in rural tourism and (2) support for the Ministry's steering body. If approved by the European Commission (EC), Serbian citizens will be able to apply for IPARD grants for constructing and equipping rural tourism facilities. The Ministry’s steering body will also receive financial assistance to carry out information and educational activities aimed at boosting the utilization of IPARD funds and improving the implementation of IPARD programs.
Private Sector 14) Poultry farms need to adapt to EU standards January 21st, 2020, http://www.agronews.rs/zivinarske-farme-da-se-prilagode-standardima-eu/
Serbia’s poultry farms have much work to do in adopting European Union (EU) standards in order to remain eligible for exports to the EU. Meeting the new standards requires a significant shift in how poultry farms operate, especially in the space required for them to operate. For example, EU standards imply a 36% reduction in the number of chickens housed in the same area. Moreover, chickens must be given a nest in which to lay eggs and must have access to all the elements of life in nature. An estimated EUR 50 million-EUR 60 million will be required to update all poultry farms in the country to these new conditions.
15) Expensive land prices have many farmers walking away January 18th, 2020, https://www.novosti.rs/vesti/naslovna/ekonomija/aktuelno.239
Agricultural land in Serbia is valued at EUR 10,000-EUR 20,000 per hectare, nearly twice as much as in surrounding areas. Moreover, prices are expected to continue to increase in the near future, causing many owners of agricultural land to charge increased rental prices to farmers. This, in turn, has put farmers in a situation where production in increasingly expensive and decreasingly profitable, leading to many to simply quit agriculture. The main problem stems from those in different industries increasing the demand for arable land, which they view as a better investment than buying apartments, gold or saving at banks. Farmers, which often have already thin profit margins, simply cannot afford the higher prices to buy the land and are stuck being renters. But with rental prices increasing, many are moving on to greener pastures in other industries to support their families. At some point, the situation will become unstable. But until then, the farmers (especially smaller-sized one) are the ones truly suffering.
16) Raspberry prices up 30% worldwide January 17th, 2020, http://www.politika.rs/scc/clanak/445971/Svetske-nestasice-pogurale-cenu-maline
Raspberry prices the world over have increased by about 30% thanks to bad weather impacting Chile’s raspberry production. Serbia, as one of the world’s largest raspberry producers and exporters, could benefit from this rise in raspberry prices, although the country has been experiencing its own issues in recent years and saw a production level of only 53,000 tons last year (down from 83,000 tons in 2016). Serbian raspberry producers are also facing increased competition from new competitor countries, in-
Page 5
