The Ministry of Agriculture proposed three projects that are important for Serbia to the American International Development Finance Corporation DFC.
These three projects refer to young farmers and their starting a business, women’s entrepreneurship in agriculture and the food industry, Minister of Agriculture Branislav Nedimovic told Tanjug.
The project whose realization with DFC is already in progress is a guarantee scheme for credit support to Serbian farmers, which provides collateral, Nedimovic specified.
“Where we with DFC, guarantee 60 percent of collateral if someone wants to buy a machine, land, start a business in agriculture, food industry. If something costs a hundred, we guarantee 60 percent that it will be so,” says Nedimovic, explaining the work on this project through three commercial banks that passed the competition.
The ministry also applied for non-refundable loans for young farmers of around 15,000 euros.
“We are already working on this project from the national budget, but we would like to do it with DFC. These are grants of 15,000 euros, non-refundable, for starting an agricultural business for those under 40,” says Minister Nedimovic.
These grants especially refer, he says, to cattle breeding, fruit growing and vegetables, “like three heavy branches of agriculture, which bind people to the village”.
DFC’s investments in agritourism are also expected, and the Ministry of Agriculture already has some lines that are “covered” from the national budget, from IPARD.
“It’s all in vain for you, if you produce food and you have no one to sell it to,” said Nedimovic.
Asked when the planned projects with DFC could start to be realized, Nedimovic answered that “we have to ask the commander of DFC in Serbia”.
“As far as we are concerned, we can do it tomorrow, we are ready,” says Nedimovic, Alo reports.
