Serbia: Farmers using soil restoration techniques

Soil restoration techniques applied by Serbian farmers

In the village of Bajmok, Vojvodina, at the open field day organized by the Association of Balkan-Eco Innovation and Council for Regenerative Agriculture of Serbia, a system of agricultural land management practices was presented. The primary goal of such practices is making the land more productive and biologically diverse over the time.

Mr. Florjan Farkas, an agricultural advisor and a farmer practicing the regenerative agriculture approach, shared his experience and lessons learned with fellow farmers and  representatives of local government and research institutions. Mr Farkas showed on spot how practices like “cover-crop”, “trap-crop” as well as “intercropping”  contribute to the quality of  the soil. Visitors learned about challenges that arise on a daily basis and had an opportunity to witness the benefits for soil quality of such approach.

Seed production in Serbia operates at half capacity

Serbia possesses excellent potential for a much higher production of certified seeds. Yet, it lags behind Europe in their usage. Local farmers, burdened by other rising costs, more frequently resort to using "attic" seeds, reports the monthly Business and Finance. The state could assist with subsidies, but they are not designated for declared seed producers.

Determining the market value of seed production is challenging due to the diversity of production, from field crops to vegetables and flowers. Still, estimates suggest it hovers around €110.3 million annually, adds the monthly. The production exceeds this figure, as foreign markets demand varieties of corn and sunflower produced in Serbia. Hence, the value of foreign trade exchange is around €192 million of which domestic exports are €128 million and imports are €64 million.

"Given the resources, seed production could be conducted on 90,000 hectares, but we currently do not reach the former 70,000. Mostly, it's between 35,000 to 45,000 hectares," stated for Business and Finance Svetlana Balesevic Tubic, the General Secretary of the Seed Association of Serbia. She added that the seed industry is the most profitable sector of agribusiness on a global level, always dominated by the strongest players. In the total production costs, certified seeds account for about seven percent, but the producer has greater assurance than "attic" seeds, which, although cheaper, may carry hidden diseases. Thus the value of funds allocated for protection will exceed the savings, concludes the magazine.

RWA invests in seed processing center in Vojvodina

One of the world's oldest cooperatives, Austrian Raiffeisen Ware Austria (RWA), operating in Serbia as RWA Srbija, opened a seed processing complex in Rumenka near Novi Sad. The investment exceeded €6 million. Dusan Mezulic, Director of RWA Srbija, stated that this newly opened complex is only a part of the RWA logistics center, which will be fully completed by 2026.

"The processing center includes 16 silo cells with a capacity of around 6,300 tons and a ground storage facility for receiving approximately 6,000 tons of raw materials," he said. Mezulic emphasized that the processing center is part of one of Europe's most modern logistics centers. RWA Srbija's Commercial Director, Dragan Jockov, highlighted that this investment will enable Serbian farmers to obtain the highest quality certified seeds according to European standards. "I believe that, together with local business and agricultural representatives, we will contribute to strengthening agriculture in Serbia. Our focus is on seeds, primarily wheat, barley, and soybeans," he stated.

RWA, one of the oldest agricultural cooperatives in the world, was established in the 19th century and remains owned by its members. For over 15 years, RWA Srbija has been investing in developing and selecting high-quality seeds for corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, rapeseed, and sunflowers.

Census of white storks commenced in Serbia

The Society for the protection and Study of Birds of Serbia  (DZPPS) has initiated the 8^th International Census of White Storks, a decadal survey. The census is structured in two phases, the first phase took place from April 22 to May 31 and the second will be from June 17 to July 15. DZPPS encourages public participation in counting these birds to help expand knowledge about their population size, nesting habits, and the number of their offspring.

"White storks are easily recognizable and almost impossible to confuse with other species. They exclusively inhabit human settlements and typically use electricity poles, roofs, chimneys, and other structures to support their massive nests," explained Kristina Milosevic, the census coordinator from the Society for the Protection and Study of Birds of Serbia. After traveling approximately 12,000 kilometers, storks almost always return to the same nest, which they continue to build and repair throughout the breeding season. White storks are strictly protected, and under the law, anyone who destroys their nests, takes their eggs, shoots at them, or disturbs them in any way may face fines or imprisonment.

The census of white storks is one of the oldest bird monitoring initiatives in Europe. It is organized by Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU), a BirdLife partner in Germany, and DZPPS is conducting the census in Serbia to join international efforts in studying this species. "The count is conducted using a prescribed methodology across the entire country. For this occasion, we have developed a special mobile app, available for download from www.pticesrbije.rs , which allows easy and quality data collection," said Milosevic.

Food prices rise by 8 percent   

Food prices in Serbia rose by 8 percent over the past 12 months, with some food prices rising much higher, according to the data from Statistics Office of Serbia (RZS). According to official statistics, y-o-y inflation stood at 5 percent. The data showed that meat prices rose by an average of 8 percent, with pork prices rising 12.7 percent and beef prices rising 6.4 percent. Fish prices rose by an average of 5.5 percent, fruit prices by 4.6 percent, while salt and spices prices rose by 13 percent.

Condiment prices rose by 9 percent, chocolate by 8.9 percent and processed fruits and honey by 7.1 percent. The National Bank of Serbia (NBS) said that it expects inflation to reach a maximum of 4.5 percent, having set its inflation target at 3±1.5 percent.

Carrefour to enter Serbian market

Carrefour, one of the world's largest retail chains based in France, is expanding its presence to Serbia. The Greek branch of Carrefour has signed exclusive rights to represent Carrefour in the Serbian market, according to Retail Serbia. The company Retail & More A.E. is planning to introduce Carrefour not only in Serbia but also in several other Balkan markets. In collaboration with partners in Bulgaria, the Greek company recently opened the first Carrefour supermarkets in Bulgaria. The new plan includes opening 70 new stores in Greece and Bulgaria in the coming period. Last year, Carrefour took over all Cora hypermarkets in Romania and announced new investments. All these facilities have been rebranded and now operate under the Carrefour banner, Retail Serbia reports.