Serbia agriculture Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia

Surface area8,8 million ha Agricultural land5,7 million ha Arable land4,2 million ha Inhabitants7,5 million (population census 2002) Population inhabiting rural areas 44 % (of total population) Average farm area3 ha (commercial farm area 10.6 ha) Serbia agriculture Agriculture indicators SHARE of Ag. in total GDP 10,3%

Serbia agriculture GRAINS The largest surface area of arable land in Serbia is used for the production of food grains. This production (wheat, barley, rye, oats, corn, millet and sorghum) uses about 60% of the arable land in Serbia. Corn is the most common grain crop, with over 1.2 million hectares being devoted to corn annually. Regarding corn production, Serbia is the fifth largest producer in Europe, behind France, Ukraine, Romania and Italy.

OILSEEDS Serbia is among the leading countries in Europe in oilseed production. The production of oilseeds is sufficient to cover Serbia’s domestic needs, while the key export products are sunflower oil and soybean oil. Serbia agriculture

Serbia agriculture SUGAR BEET The surface area devoted to sugar beets vary from year to year, but a growth trend is evident, both in the production of sugar beets, as well as in the yields of sugar beets per hectare. Sugar is also a significant export item for Serbia, and it is consistently among the top ten Serbian export products in export value.

MEDICAL PLANTS Thanks to the favorable climate, land and unpolluted environment Serbia is very suitable for the cultivation of medical plants. Production of medical plants brings higher, faster and easier profit than production of other plant cultures, which is still an insufficiently used potential of Serbia. Serbia agriculture

VEGETABLE PRODUCTION Potatoes, cabbage and kale, melons and watermelons, tomatoes, peppers and onions are the most frequent products for vegetable production. Vegetables are cultivated on a total of 281,000 ha, which represents 9% of the total arable land of the country. Serbia agriculture

FRUIT PRODUCTION Out of the total area under berries raspberries take up 67%. It should be noted that Serbia is ranked third globally by raspberry production. The most common types of tree fruits are the plum, the plantation of which comprise 51% of the total area under tree fruits. Serbia agriculture

Serbia agriculture VINEYARDS AND WINE PRODUCTION Serbia is a country with great potential, and a long tradition of grape and wine production, but it currently is facing the challenge of reclaiming its old glory and the might of the geographic origin of its wines. The natural diversity of the varied climatic conditions of the nine vineyard regions, and sixty five vineyard valleys, provides the wines of Serbia with a special flavour.

BRANDY The process of producing distilled alcoholic drinks has been know in Serbia from antiquity. Thanks to the quality of local plums and high yields, the slivovitz has become a recognizable Serbian brand. The priority goals in this sector are improvements to, and expansion of, the processing capacities, increasing the production of brandies with the mark of geographic origin, and promotion of Serbian brandies in international markets. Serbia agriculture

LIVESTOCK The share of livestock husbandry in the total value of agricultural production was 32% in Cattle husbandry is by all means the most important production sector in the overall livestock production. This is primarily due to the fact that the most important products of cattle raising are staple foods (meat and milk). The share of cow’s milk in the total value of livestock raising is 25%, while beef production share is 17.6%. Serbia agriculture

AGRICULTURAL TOURISM The new aspect of agriculture in Serbia is agricultural tourism. Natural resource (agricultural land, forests, and waters), significant human resources, as well as preserved cultural and historical heritage are some of the key potentials of rural areas that are important for the development of rural tourism. Serbia agriculture

Serbia agriculture Trade Policy Agricultural foreign exchange of the Republic of Serbia Serbia as a center of south-east region, is attractive for investments of companies from other countries for many reasons: The local market is one of the largest in the region with around 7.5 million inhabitants The Serbian economy has experienced a gradual growth in the past seven years, thus ensuring the broadening of the market Total agricultural export increased by 20% in 2011 & Balance also increased by 9% comparing to previous year EXPORT MAX mil.$ >9% >20% Positive agricultural trade balance sounds very optimistic about the future...

Serbia agriculture EXPORTIMPORT Serbia has significantly improved the competitiveness of its agriculture after signing of CEFTA. CEFTA is one of the greatest achievements in economic integration of Western Balkan countries that allow free trade in the region. Export and import from Serbia to CEFTA countries is growing from year to year. Export and import from Serbia to CEFTA countries is growing from year to year. The most significant decrease in import is from other (WTO) countries. The most significant decrease in import is from other (WTO) countries.

EXPORT Quantity in t Value in 000 $ Corn, Yellow 1,585,148422,030 White sugar 187,019156,287 Roland Raspberry 33,738101,609 Wheat 274,31182,386 Sunflower oil 50,89181,587 Fresh Apples 113,46062,082 Beer made from maltBeer made from malt80,56559,174 Soybean-oil41,38354,027 Roland Sour CherryRoland Sour Cherry26,02954,286 Soft drinksSoft drinks93,99552,648IMPORT Quantity in t Value in 000 $ Coffee32,401102,561 Cigarettes containing tobacco 4,18646,887 Fresh-bananas52,35739,219 Prepared foodsPrepared foods9,38033,896 Sweet orangesSweet oranges44,94026,028 Tobacco, Flue-curedTobacco, Flue-cured4,54925,607 Palm oilPalm oil12,97517,373 Tuna and SkipjackTuna and Skipjack4,60916,555 Sunflower seedsSunflower seeds30,09615,987 Tomatoes, fresh or chilled 23,20916,529 Serbia agriculture Top 10 agricultural products in 2011

Serbia agriculture Other investment opportunities Good geographical location (middle of Balkan, heart of south-east Europe) Favourable climate and soil conditions Low costs of land (rent/sale) Low cost of labour USA – Generalized System of Preference (GSP) Significant agro-processing capacities Favourable trade conditions - preferential access to main markets : Investment threats Agriculture (still) in transition Small scale farming Low yields Large number of farmers without proper associations Processing capacities built for needs of Yugoslavia and outdated General lack of financial resources in agribusiness CEFTA - Central European Free Trade Agreement EU – Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkey - Free Trade Agreement Agribusiness Sector – Field of possibilities EFTA - Free Trade Agreement with EFTA countries

Serbia agriculture Financing the Agribusiness Sector: … European Union

Thank you for your attention Milos MILOVANOVIC, Assistant Minister Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia