Aleksandar Martinović, Serbia’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, visited three beekeeping households in Aleksinac, emphasizing the importance of beekeeping in Serbian agriculture and the substantial subsidies provided to support this sector.
During his visit, Martinović toured the apiaries of Nebojša Popović, who manages approximately 70 beehives; Goran Ilić in Donji Suhotno, who oversees around 150 beehives; and Srđan Stanojević in Žitkovac, who maintains about 200 bee colonies. Stanojević is a recipient of support from the Competitive Agriculture Project of Serbia (SCAP) for acquiring advanced beekeeping equipment.
The Minister noted that in 2024, the Serbian government allocated 83 billion dinars through national measures to assist domestic farmers. He encouraged beekeepers, along with other agricultural producers, to apply for public calls issued by the Directorate for Agrarian Payments.
Martinović highlighted that beekeepers are generally satisfied with the current state measures and expressed the ministry’s commitment to increasing support for beekeeping in the future.
Rodoljub Živadinović, President of the Association of Beekeeping Organizations of Serbia (SPOS), who accompanied Martinović during the visit, mentioned that Aleksinac has been recognized as Serbia’s first beekeeping municipality, boasting over 600 beekeepers.
The visit concluded with a meeting between Minister Martinović and Aleksinac’s municipal president, Dalibor Radičević, where they discussed current administrative matters and local developments.
