Glamocic: Land is Serbia's great potential

NOVI SAD - Serbia has to encourage people to live on agriculture in the countryside, since agricultural land is the country's great potential, Dragan Glamocic, outgoing minister of agriculture, forestry and water management, stated on Tuesday.

After the presentation of the draft strategy for Serbia's agriculture and rural development 2014-2024 held at the Novi Sad Faculty of Agriculture, Glamocic said that this general document determines the guidelines for farmers for the next decade and identifies what needs to be changed in the agricultural policy.

The strategy names the institutions which should undergo major changes so as to encourage the development of the Serbian agriculture, he said.

The emphasis is on education since there is no successful agriculture without young experts, the minister said.

Glamocic said that for the first time the strategy also defines the budget for agriculture by the time Serbia joins the EU and gets access to its funds.

“This is a general document which will be of great help in the country's EU accession negotiations, but the strategy is primarily aimed at improvement of agriculture,” he underlined.

The draft strategy was made by more than 240 people, from scientists to manufacturers, he said.

The draft strategy was presented first in Belgrade, and Novi Sad will be followed by Cacak, Nis and Krusevac, Glamocic said, adding that remarks and suggestions are already arriving, including the ones that the document is voluminous.

The strategy includes guidelines for the agricultural policy, and it is necessary to adopt many more accompanying documents, he said.

Previously in the talks with representatives of unions gathered in the...

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