Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus opened the first manifestation of the Subotica farmers’ association today. As part of the manifestation, Labus met with local agricultural producers to discuss the future of Serbia’s agriculture and ways to improve farming machinery.
Miroljub Labus
The government has set the so-called “field-to-table” chain as its priority in agriculture, the Deputy Prime Minister said, stressing that the state will focus its support on primary production.
Labus also noted that Serbian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Ivana Dulic-Markovic is due to meet with grain and milling organisations to discuss wheat purchase, adding that he will discuss wheat purchase loans with representatives of local banks.
The government has met its obligations to farmers and has approved all requests of grain and milling organisations for wheat exports to neighbouring countries and sales in Kosovo-Metohija. Wheat buyers have yet to meet their obligations and report the exact amount of wheat they purchased so that the government can pay premiums to wheat growers.
The government, which has three times more funding in its farming budget this year, plans to appropriate more funding in 2005 and start approving long-term loans for farming machinery repairs.
Today’s manifestation was attended by local agricultural producers and a number of potential importers.