BFC. Agriculture Finance Bulletin.
State Initiatives 1)
Berry producers upset with government decision regarding EUR 100 million in aid
April 25th, 2020, http://rs.n1info.com/Biznis/a592920/Proizvodjaci-malina
Serbian berry producers are outraged by a government decision to delay EUR 100 million in state aid as part of relief from the COVID-19 pandemic. The aid, which is meant to support businesses and citizens, was initially planned to be delivered by May 15, 2020; however, the new decision requires interested parties to phone or email their request for aid by June 5, 2020. Berry producers expected this aid around May 15 and need it to complete spring sowing activities. Moreover, many berry producers are inconvenienced in that many do not have computers and fear that telephone lines will be at capacity with tens of thousands of calls, meaning their aid may be further delayed.
2)
Farmers need not be registered in VAT system to qualify for state aid package
April 24th, 2020, https://www.danas.rs/ekonomija/nedimovic-poljoprivrednici
The Minister of Agriculture has confirmed that farmers requesting aid under the state’s RSD 2.6 billion farmer assistance package are not required to be registered in the VAT system in order to qualify for the aid. It is enough that they are a registered agricultural holding with an active status. This aid is being provided to farmers in two ways: (1) as direct financial support and (2) as a way of facilitating access to credit. It should be noted that this assistance is not connected with other subsidies offered by the state.
3)
RSD 2.6 billion in state aid to help farmers during COVID-19 pandemic
April 21st, 2020, https://www.novosti.rs/vesti/naslovna/ekonomija/aktuelno.239
The state has made RSD 2.6 billion available to assist farmers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial assistance is available via two means: (1) direct payments that will be made to registered agricultural holdings and (2) state-facilitated access to credit. It should be noted that this amount is not related to and is completely separate from other state subsidies available to farmers. Although many farmers welcomed the aid, many were also skeptical that the state-facilitated access to credit would be of benefit to most small- and medium-sized producers, who typically are not interested in credit due to poor prior experiences and a fear of not being able to fulfill their obligations under credit agreements.
4)
Package of state support for farmers under development
April 14th, 2020, https://beta.rs/ekonomija/ekonomija-srbija/125908
The state is in the process of developing a special package of measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the agricultural sector. The exact types and methods of support have yet to be finalized as the state is still working with experts and producers to determine the measures most likely to have the greatest impact. Experts believe that measures could include assistance in procuring planting material, relief for the procurement and necessary fuel and/or partial delays or cancelations of liabilities.
Page 2
