Farmers' protests announced in Serbia

Farmers announcing new protests if no solution for milk and grain surpluses is found

Farmers in Serbia will organize a warning protest next week, blocking roads in several places, if the government does not offer solutions to the problems with surplus milk and grain, the President of the Association of Cattle Breeders in Central Serbia, Milija Palamarevic, announced. Mr. Palamarevic commented to Beta that farmers “talked to representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture several times about problems with surplus milk, grain, and subsidies, but without success.”

“Now we expect solutions to the problems with the import of huge quantities of milk and cheese, surpluses of these products on the domestic market, wide ranges of raw milk purchase prices (€0.25-0.7 per liter), surpluses of grain that we have no one to sell to because the export was banned last year,” Mr. Palamarevic said. He added that if the Ministry of Agriculture does not take their problems seriously, 50 thousand households engaged in stockbreeding would collapse.

Electronic register of agricultural holding in Serbia has begun

The Serbian Ministry of Agriculture stated that the trial of the electronic register of agricultural holdings (E-RPG) started on March 20. The electronic registry is a new step in the introduction of the e-Agrar system. According to the Ministry of Agriculture's website, agricultural advisory services will call a certain number of agricultural producers from their territory based on a random sample system to help them update data and at the same time test the new system.

The goal of the trial period is to go through the entire process, eliminate any potential irregularities or difficulties in the system’s operation in time and ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the E-RPG when it is put into mass use. All agricultural producers have been  able to register freely in the E-RPG system from Monday, March 20. The Ministry of Agriculture once again called on farmers, who have not done so yet, to download the information for their e-ID number and to check and update the data on animals in the central register of the Veterinary Directorate.

The number of cattle, pigs, goats and poultry decreased

In Serbia, the number of cattle, pigs, goats and poultry decreased last year, and the number of sheep increased compared to 2021, announces the Statistical Office of Serbia. On December 1 last year, the number of cattle was lower by 6.9% compared to one year earlier, the number of pigs was lower by 7%, goats by 1.7%, and poultry by 3.5% while the number of sheep went up by 1.5%. Compared to the 10-year average (2012–2021), the total number of cattle decreased by 11%, pigs by 11.9%, goats by 6.3% and poultry by 10.7% while the number of sheep went up by 1.9%.

Cattle were mostly raised in the region of Sumadija (central Serbia) and Western Serbia – 45.1% of the total number of cattle in Serbia. Pigs were mostly in the region of Vojvodina – 42.5%.

Wineries in Serbia on the rise

The number of registered wineries in Serbia had increased by 58% in the past few years and currently stands at 466. “In the 2021/22 production year, wineries reported around 29.5 million liters of wine, which is 32% more than in the previous season,” said Minister of Agriculture Jelena Tanaskovic during a visit to the Cilic winery. The Minister added that from 2019 to 2022, 953 hectares of new vineyards were planted, the most in 2021 – 285 hectares.

Minister Tanaskovic reiterated that the Ministry of Agriculture allocates significant funds for incentives for viticulture and wine production intended for raising multiyear production vine plantations, investments in processing and marketing, production of planting material and certification and clonal selection of vines. Funds are allocated for the purchase of new machines and equipment, improvement of wine quality, operation of the association of producers of wines with designation of geographical origin, and insurance of plantations and nurseries. Significant assistance is also provided through the EU pre accession program for rural development - IPARD.

Serbian producers at London fair

Twenty Serbian producers participated at the International Food and Drink Event (IFE) last week in London. “Last year, the British Serbian Chamber of Commerce (BSCC) had a small pavilion promoting Serbian products. This year, together with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vojvodina (PKV), a bigger pavilion was organized to promote the finest food and beverage products from Serbia. We are delighted to share that we have also partnered up with UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to carry out the Export support program for fresh, frozen and processed fruits and vegetables to the UK market in 2023,” reads the BSCC announcement.

“Located in Southeastern and Central Europe, at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans, Serbia is a food loving nation. What diversifies Serbian food is the country’s unpolluted soil, long period of harvest, quality ingredients as well as the culinary influences of the Mediterranean, continental European and Middle Eastern cuisines, blended with a modern and cosmopolitan twist,” states the announcement.

It was also emphasized that world-famous fresh berries also came from Serbia, as well as apples and pears, organic jams and spreads bursting with unspoiled flavors of the highest quality fruits and vegetables.

“Honey combined with hazelnuts, chocolate, olive oil and pesto sauce with world-known Serbian grown truffles, 100% fruit flours, gluten- free biscuits and crackers, to multiple award-winning wines, Serbian food will take you on a culinary journey where childhood memories of grandmother’s kitchen meet the bustling urban streets,” states the British Serbian Chamber of Commerce.

Households in the EU spend most on housing, in Serbia on food and beverages

Households in the European Union spend the largest part of their budget on “housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels,” while households in Serbia on “food and soft drinks,” statistical data shows. The largest share of EU household expenses in 2020 is “housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels” (almost a third of all expenses, i.e. 32.7%). Food and drinks account for 17.1% of total household spending, and 10.8% of the budget was spent on transportation. The rest of the household budget in EU member states was spent on recreation and culture (6.7%), furniture & household equipment (4.9%), restaurants & hotels (4.8%), and clothing & footwear (4%).

In Serbia, no data on household consumption in 2020 was published due to the coronavirus pandemic. The RZS has published the Household Consumption Survey for 2021. It showed that the largest part of household expenses in Serbia was spent on “food and non-alcoholic beverages” (34.3%). Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels accounted for 16.4% of the budget, while households in Serbia spent 9.1% of the budget on transportation. The share of expenses for “recreation & culture” was 5.2% in the total expenditure of households in Serbia, 5.2% of the household budget was spent on clothes & shoes, and 4.2% on “apartment equipment and routine maintenance.”