Serbia: Farmers unite with students in protest

Farmers to support student protests while continuing their own fight for promised reforms

The ”Initiative for the Survival of Serbian Farmers” has announced that their immediate priority is to safeguard student protests by using tractors to ensure the gatherings remain secure. Afterwards, the organization will resume advocating for their own unresolved demands. "Our sole focus right now is to protect student protests by using tractors to block roads, preventing vehicles from endangering their safety," stated Goran Filipovic, president of the organization, in a statement to the Beta news agency. "Once the students' demands are addressed, we will turn our attention to the state and push for the fulfilment of the promises made to us in a signed agreement" Filipovic explained. He added that tractors would be strategically placed to block locations designated by students, providing a barrier to ensure their safety. He also criticized the government for failing to meet commitments made in an agreement with farmers last year. "The refund for excise duty, which was promised within two weeks, is still outstanding after 2.5 months," Filipovic noted. "The state also owes us a 40% subsidy for insurance. For us, this is our income—it's like working without receiving your salary. Meanwhile, we still have to pay for electricity, water, fertilizers, and seeds for spring planting." He emphasized that these unresolved issues are threatening farmers’ ability to sustain their livelihoods. Filipovic warned that if the government continues to ignore their demands, farmers are prepared to intensify their protests once the student demonstrations conclude.

Irrigation challenges in Serbia

In 2024, 48,668 hectares of agricultural land in Serbia were irrigated, marking a 2.3% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Statistical Office of Serbia (RSZ). The majority of irrigated areas consisted of arable land and gardens, accounting for 93.5% of the total, followed by orchards at 5.9%, and other agricultural areas with a minimal share of 0.6%. A total of 66.74 million cubic meters of water was used for irrigation in 2024, a 5.2% rise compared to 2023.

The largest portion of this water (92.8%) was sourced from watercourses, while the rest came from underground reserves and other sources, according to the RSZ report. Sprinkling was the predominant irrigation method, covering 91% of the total irrigated land. Drip irrigation was used on 8.8% of the land, while surface irrigation accounted for just 0.2%. Despite these increases, agroeconomic analyst Zarko Galetin emphasized that Serbia remains at the bottom of the regional rankings in terms of both irrigation system development and the percentage of agricultural land under irrigation.

"The problem Serbia faces is the lack of a systematic approach to irrigation," says agroeconomic analyst Zarko Galetin. "The state is making efforts through grants and credit lines to encourage investment in irrigation systems, but it's clear that a comprehensive solution is missing." Galetin highlights that 92.8% of irrigation water being drawn from watercourses reveals a significant oversight: Serbia has neglected intensive vegetable production. "This reliance on watercourses limits the development of intensive vegetable farming, which is one of the most profitable agricultural sectors and cannot thrive without advanced irrigation systems," he explains. "By neglecting irrigation infrastructure, we’ve effectively excluded large areas of agricultural land that are not located near water sources from intensive production." He argues that Serbia’s agricultural future does not lie in crops like wheat, corn, soybeans, and sugar beet—despite Serbia’s strong position as a major producer of these field crops. "With all due respect to these crops, they do not require the same level of intensive production. Much higher earnings for farmers come from intensive cultivation, particularly vegetable production, which is impossible to achieve without irrigation systems," Galetin states.

To utilize irrigation systems effectively, Galetin underscores the importance of hydrological tests and extensive research, as water resources are relatively limited. "Even wells, after a few years, can dry up and become completely dysfunctional. Farmers who make significant investments in such systems risk discovering that water is unavailable," he warns. This underscores the need for serious, long-term projects to ensure larger areas are equipped with sustainable irrigation infrastructure. While watercourses remain the most efficient and cost-effective means of utilizing water resources, Galetin points out that other systems are available. However, for Serbia to truly modernize its agriculture, the focus must shift toward more intensive production practices. "The state should base its agricultural strategy on intensive production. This involves not only irrigation but also the use of manure and the development of the livestock sector, which is currently underdeveloped in Serbia," he explains. "It’s a chain of interconnected problems that we cannot solve immediately, but with time and strategic effort, it is possible," Galetin concludes.

Fuel prices limited for six more months

The Serbian government has extended the cap on the prices of Eurodiesel and Euro-premium BMB 95 gasoline for an additional six months. The diesel price for farmers remains unchanged, set at 1.52 EUR per liter. The method for determining fuel prices remains the same, allowing gas stations to add 0.14 EUR to the established wholesale average prices of Eurodiesel and Euro-premium BMB 95 gasoline, as was previously the case. The regulation specifies that Serbian Petrol Industry (NIS) will sell Eurodiesel at a maximum retail price of 1.52 EUR per liter to registered agricultural holdings. This applies when fuel is dispensed into agricultural machinery or containers for transporting petroleum products, with a maximum quantity of 100 liters per hectare for land registered in the Agricultural Holdings Register. The benefit is limited to a maximum of 100 hectares per farmer. Professor of economy Mr.  Goran Radosavljevic noted earlier this month that, in Europe, only in Denmark diesel is more expensive than in Serbia. The fuel price cap regulation was initially introduced in March 2022, shortly after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Fuel prices in Serbia are determined on a weekly basis, every Friday.

Serbian food products reported by RASFF

The (RASFF) is. Last week the European Rapid Alert and Notification System for Food (RASFF), the system that aims to ensure the efficient exchange of information between EU member states and enable quick action in the situation of identifying food stuff that may endanger the health of consumers, announced that Polish inspection services had found an excess of maximum allowed level for aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxins in soybean flour from Serbia. This is the fourth case of RASFF notification on food products from Serbia since the beginning of this year. In the same week, Denmark issued a serious warning for aflatoxin in soy protein from Serbia. In mid-January, Spain issued a serious warning at RASFF for the high content of aflatoxin in textured soybeans protein from Serbia. Allowed level of aflatoxin in food in Serbia and the EU are not harmonized. In Serbia allowed level of aflatoxin is 0,25 microgram per kg and in the EU it’s 0,05 microgram per kg. "Based on field results from testing corn, animal feed, and raw milk, and in continuous communication with the Ministry of Health, it was decided that the same aflatoxin M1 limit of 0.25 micrograms per kilogram in raw milk will be maintained for the next year," stated the Ministry of Agriculture in October last year. The Ministry also noted that the Codex Alimentarius Commission's standard for aflatoxin M1 in raw milk, followed by one-third of the world's countries, including the United States, China, and Russia and other nations outside the European Union, remains at 0.5 micrograms per kilo-gram, double the current limit in Serbia.

A milder warning, as "potentially serious", was issued by Belgium authorities on January 3^rd for the higher content of cadmium in frozen raspberries from Serbia, reports daily Blic. If the shipment is returned to Serbia, it would be destroyed safely, but concerns persist about domestic food safety standards, especially for aflatoxins, which are 10 times higher in Serbia than in the EU. Consumer advocate Petar Bogosavljevic highlights for daily Danas the gaps in monitoring and public transparency, linking unsafe food to various health risks. Criticism also targets enforcement of pesticide regulation. Calls for stricter controls, better education for farmers, and restricted pesticide access aim to improve food safety and align with EU standards.

First agro-solar power plant planned in Serbia

The company Solar Power Plant Epsilon plans to construct an agro-solar power plant, Solar PP Odzaci 2, with a 9.9 MW capacity. The details of the project are outlined in the urban development plan for the architectural design of the site, which has been made available for public review by the Municipality of Odzaci. As noted in the documentation, agro-solar power plants are installed on agricultural land in a manner that allows simultaneous cultivation of crops and solar energy generation on the same area. This approach enables the growth of various organic crops for up to 11 months a year, supported by the presence of solar panels. According to the spatial plan of the Municipality of Odzaci, the site designated for the project is classified as first-class arable agricultural land. The total area of the site is 175.000 square meters, with photovoltaic panels set to occupy approximately 60.400 square meters. The solar power plant will consist of 18.816 photovoltaic panels, each with an installed capacity of 700 Wp.