Serbia: International Grain Forum held in Belgrade

Large agrarian companies demand higher subsidy limits

The proposal by large agribusiness owners to increase the limit for agricultural subsidies that was presented last week at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS), has largely gone unnoticed by the media. The owners of Delta Agrar,  MK Group and  Meat industry Matijevic, expressed their dissatisfaction with the way state subsidies have been distributed. Mr. Zoran Matijevic, owner of one of the largest meat industries, pointed out the issue of subsidy limitations. "If you manage several thousand hectares but receive subsidies for only 100 hectares, problems arise – multiple farms get registered. On my farm, I have 60.000 fattening pigs, but only 6.000 are eligible for subsidies," Matijevic explained at the gathering in Serbian Chamber of Commerce attended by President of the state, Minister of Finance and President of PKS. However, Prof Zoran Rajic from the Faculty of Agriculture emphasized that agricultural policy cannot be shaped based on the needs of a small percentage of large farms, reports national broadcaster RTS.

International Grain Forum held in Belgrade

The International Grain Forum (IGF) was held in Belgrade on March 11. It was organized by the Novi Sad Commodity Exchange with the support of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) and the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The conference brought together leading experts from the grain sector and stock exchange business, as well as representatives of renowned companies and institutions, to exchange insights on grain trade and global market trends, alternative financing sources, regenerative agriculture and sustainable practices, as well as grain sector transport and logistics. Mr. Vlado Kovacevic, Director of the Commodity Exchange, noted that the industry is facing numerous challenges, particularly market instability, geopolitical issues, and climate change. However, he emphasized the importance of Serbian farmers becoming more familiar with modern trends via knowledge transfer and education. "This conference is designed for the grain sector, specifically to address the challenges faced by our farmers. For any real change to happen, it must start with production planning. The Commodity Exchange has organized a series of courses focused on acquiring knowledge and structuring sowing plans. This is the most crucial aspect of selling agricultural products," Kovacevic stated. The grain and logistic market outlook was the topic discussed by Mr Vito Martinelii from Rabobank and Dmytro Prykhodko from FAO. Conference attendees also had the opportunity to learn about innovative agricultural financing models from Mr. Evghenii Calac, a speaker from Rabobank and Mr. Jonatas de Alencar Moreira from the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture. In Serbia, the pre-harvest financing law was adopted in 2014, but its implementation has yet to take hold.

Additional funding for innovation acceleration project

Serbia's Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ms Jelena Begovic, announced that additional funding will be secured for the Serbia Accelerating Innovation and Growth Entrepreneurship Project – SAIGE. This initiative, started in 2022, aims to improve science and entrepreneurship in Serbia through a partnership between the Serbian government, the World Bank, and the European Union. The project has secured €43 million in loans and technical support from the World Bank and €41.5 million in financial support from the EU. Begovic emphasized that the project focuses on research and development in private companies, especially startups, and aims to enhance Serbia's competitiveness by fostering innovation. The project consists of three components: supporting scientific research, aiding innovative companies, particularly startups, and supporting reforms in scientific organizations, reports Tanjug news agency.

Serbia will be the most vulnerable country in Europe to climate change says Oxford professor

Mr Peter Frankopan, a world history professor at Oxford, discusses global climate change and its impact on Serbia in an interview for daily Danas. In his latest book "The Changed Earth," he examines how climate change, extreme weather, and ecological shifts have shaped history and continue to do so. Serbia is identified as the most vulnerable country in Europe due to faster regional warming and limited water resources. Frankopan highlights how environmental changes have influenced civilizations throughout history, offering new tools for understanding the past, such as genetic data and climate records. He stresses that climate change is a global issue with dire consequences, including rising sea levels, food shortages, and water scarcity, impacting both rich and poor nations. Frankopan argues that humanity must adapt to these rapid changes, drawing on lessons from history while facing the challenges of modern ecological and political crises.