Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Dragan Glamočić stated that farmers are often dissatisfied regardless of the budget size, even though the current budget is four times larger than during his previous term in 2013-2014. He emphasized that the budget is unlikely to grow further and highlighted the need to allocate existing funds more rationally and efficiently.
Glamočić announced stricter controls on subsidy spending, including mandatory submission of invoices and estimates, and a new schedule of calls for applications to help farmers better prepare. He mentioned favorable loan programs available through partnerships with Raiffeisen Bank, Alta Bank, NLB Bank, and soon the Postal Savings Bank, with usage deadlines until October.
New public calls have been announced for beekeeping and livestock fattening, with upcoming calls for genetics and certified seeds expected within ten days.
Regarding milk quality and food safety, an independent laboratory for milk quality control, established in cooperation with the EU, will begin operating in January, along with a new laboratory in Batajnica. The aim is to reward producers of the highest quality milk with higher subsidies, while those with lower results will receive less support. This new system will eliminate inconsistencies in test results.
To increase transparency, mandatory labeling will be introduced for products containing vegetable fats instead of milk, preventing products with vegetable oils from being labeled as cheese. Additionally, clearer labeling of meat origin will be implemented to distinguish fresh domestic meat from imports, ensuring consumers know exactly what they are purchasing.
