Serbia: Urban biodiversity project launched with Dutch participation

Dutch support to urban biodiversity

The pilot project "Don't mow the lawn Lolo!" (Ne kosi jos Lolo) is all about support to urban biodiversity. The project was symbolically  launched on the UN Earth Day on April 22 in a park in downtown Belgrade. The project follows good examples from various world capitals and will support implementation of  different mowing and maintenance methods of public green areas in the city of Belgrade. The project is supported by the Dutch Embassy in Serbia and jointly implemented by Public Utility Company "Greenery - Belgrade" and "Bee Center", a beekeeping center from Belgrade's "Silos".

The main project goal is to provide better and bigger access to food and habitat to all bees, butterflies, bumblebees and other pollinators that live in urban areas. The Project envisages  different approaches of mowing plots that are not used directly for recreational purposes. With the help of Belgraders, a nearby kindergarten and Embassy staff, honey plants were sown in the Academic park in the city center. These plants will be mowed in a mosaic pattern, which means that approximately every mowing will leave a part of the lawn uncut in order for flowers to reach full blossom and thus provide food and habitat for bees and other pollinators.

Italy and regional countries main buyers of Serbian wheat

For decades, the Romanian port of Constanta served as a pivotal transit point for exporting Serbian grains worldwide. For instance, last year 50% of the exported corn passed through this port to destinations like South Korea, Tunisia, India, Turkey, Egypt, Mauritania and Jordan. However, in the previous three years, the port of Constanta has not been the primary channel for exporting Serbian grains due to intense competition, primarily due to the influx of cheaper goods from Ukraine. "In the last three years, the main buyers of Serbian grain have been countries from the region and Italy. The largest quantities, therefore, do not go via Danube to Constanta because the competition in this port has made using this route unsustainable to Serbian exporters for a number of reasons,” explained Suncica Savovic, Director of the Serbia Grains Association, to daily Politika.

Italy and the former Yugoslav republics, along with Albania, were the destinations for the remaining 50% of the exported corn. The situation is even more pronounced when it comes to wheat, as in the last three years, the largest quantities have ended up in these countries. Last year, Italy purchased 35.5% of Serbian wheat, approximately the same as in 2022. The former Yugoslav republics and Albania bought 46%, an increase from 2022 when the percentage was 41%, Savovic specified.

Inflation in Serbia “ate” 12 kg of meat and “drank” 23 l of milk

Inflation has significantly impacted all citizens of Serbia, affecting their purchasing power despite wage increases, as illustrated by the rising prices of basic food items, reports Nova.rs. Over the past year, inflation has effectively “eaten” 12 kilograms of pork ham and “drank” 23 liters of milk, despite the average salary increasing from 700 EUR in January last year to 811 EUR in the first month of this year. The price of pork ham, which has seen a dramatic price increase during the inflationary period, now costs as much as 7.7 EUR per kilogram, up from about 6 EUR/kg a year ago. Previously, the average salary could purchase 117 kilograms of pork ham, but this year, it could only buy 105 kilograms. Similarly, a liter of long-life milk with 2.8% fat cost 1.06 EUR a year ago, allowing the average salary to cover 656 liters. In January this year, at €1.28 per liter, the average wage buys only 633 liters of milk. The portal notes that the median wage is an even more accurate indicator of living standards because it is the highest amount that half the employees can earn. Last January, the median salary was €538, which could buy 89 kilograms of pork ham, but this January, with a median wage of 630 EUR, it could only purchase 81 kilograms, 8 kilograms less. Last year's median salary "covered" 503 liters of milk, but this year, only 491 liters, reports the portal.

Farmer-beekeeper cooperation good for bees

Oilseed rape is treated with pesticides before full flowering in order to be protected from the pests and to fully develop the flower. Fully developed flower is food for bees, thus farmers and beekeepers in the  town of Subotica, are highlighting their example of cooperation and appeal to others to follow their footsteps in order to avoid massive bee poisoning.

Miroslav Matkovic, President of the Assembly of the Association of Agricultural Producers of Subotica, explained for Tanjug news agency that rapeseed is currently at 20% of total flowering and is treated with pesticides that are the least harmful to bees. He urged farmers to  spray the oilseed rape during the night when the flower is closed, like fruit growers do. "We also appeal to beekeepers to be patient with the release of bees for grazing these days. Oilseed rape is treated before the flower is fully developed, so the bees are definitely waiting for the full bloom," says Matkovic.

He adds that beekeepers and farmers in the territory of Subotica cooperate in such cases, because, as he pointed out, "not a single farmer wants the death of bees". "It is necessary to talk about this problem and raise awareness of farmers and general population about importance of bees as pollinators. There are cases with no understanding and cooperation between the beekeepers and farmers whose plots are near the beehives. Fortunately, this miscommunication happens seldom as it is in the interest of all of us to preserve the “production”, bee keepers to protect bees from pesticides, and farmers to protect their crops  from pests", said Matkovic.

He appealed to farmers to inform the beekeepers in the vicinity about the pesticide treatment plan. The president of the Association of Beekeepers of Subotica, Dragoljub Matic, confirmed that the cooperation with farmers in that territory has been exceptional for years. The same applies to this year. "Spring weather forces everyone to work - farmers, fruit growers and bees. Cooperation is needed and in Subotica we have had an enviable level of cooperation for years. Spraying fruit or any other crop can cause up to 100% damage when it comes to bees. Conscientious farmers use products that are not harmful to bees and treat their crops in the evening hours", Matic explained. "Together with farmers, we appeal, inform and communicate with public constantly", said Matic to Tanjug news agency.

April frost causes up to 250,000 tons of fruit crop losses

Frost and snow have significantly damaged fruit crops in some areas of Serbia, contradicting forecasts of a record harvest year, stated Zoran Keserovic, a professor at the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad. Speaking to Beta news agency, Keserovic noted that temperatures in some parts of the country dropped to as low as minus five to six degrees Celsius. "The most damage occurred in Sumadija and western Serbia, with about 30% of the fruit crops affected in these regions, which together produce around 40% of the total national fruit output," he explained. Professor Keserovic added that fruit crops in the north part of the country (around Subotica and cherries in Merosina) also suffered considerable losses. He specified that the most affected were early-blooming fruits. The frost primarily damaged plums, cherries, and pears, while the snow destroyed young shoots of raspberries. He estimated that between 230,000 and 250,000 tons of fruit were lost. If there are no further adverse weather events, this year's yield could match the average of the previous year, which was about 1,250,000 tons, explained Keserovic.

EU support to Serbian farmers via IPARD III fund

European Union's Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for Rural Development (IPARD) allocated €288 million  for Serbian farmers in the third cycle of implementation. With mandatory co-financing from the Serbian budget of €90 million, local farmers will have nearly 380 mn EUR of aid available, stated László Árendás, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation to Serbia. "Each country is given the freedom to choose which measures it will implement in the execution of the program. In the third IPARD cycle, we have added two more measures, meaning that a total of 13 measures are available. Serbia has so far chosen to implement seven," he said during a panel presenting the IPARD III program. Mr. Árendás specified that four of the selected measures have passed through the accreditation process with the European Commission, while the process is still ongoing for the other chosen measures. "Currently, there is an open call under Measure 1, which relates to investments in agricultural holdings," Mr. Árendás explained. Rastko Cenic, a representative of the IPARD Management Authority at the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture, detailed that support in the IPARD III program would amount to 60% of the investment value. For young farmers or those engaged in certified organic production, the support can increase to 70%, with an additional 10% available for renewable energy sources and waste management. "The minimum support can be €20,000, and the maximum one million euros. Within the IPARD III program period, a single beneficiary can receive a maximum of two million euros in support," stated Cenic.

Serbian cornbread listed among the world's 50 best breads

As reported by the American portal CNN, Serbian corn-bread, or proja, has been on the list of the World's 50 best breads. "Warm cubes of Serbian proja, or cornbread, are favored accompaniment to the country's rich, meaty soups. This cornbread is often freshly prepared for family feasts and served warm straight from the oven with salty additions like kajmak (dairy spread) and cracklings," the portal describes. This famous Serbian cornbread stands alongside Mexican tortillas, Turkish simit, and French baguettes.