The city of Bor has announced a public call for leasing state-owned agricultural land for 2026, but so far there has been no interest, similar to the previous year. In 2024, only one application was submitted for leasing state agricultural land in Bor, but it was rejected after document review.
Bora Stanković, environmental inspector and head of the Commission for Leasing Agricultural Land, highlighted a serious decline in interest in farming, with agriculture gradually disappearing as an important economic sector in the Bor area—a trend ongoing for over a decade.
He attributed this to young people leaving villages in large numbers and finding stable jobs in mining companies. Meanwhile, the older rural population often lacks the physical ability to farm large plots and usually cultivates only small areas, while unused land is lent free of charge to neighbors who can farm it.
Some citizens have inquired about leasing land for non-agricultural purposes like garages or outbuildings, but such uses are not allowed under the public call, which strictly limits land use to agriculture.
The decline is evident from data showing that 10 to 15 years ago, the village of Zlot had over 4,000 cows, but now there are only around 300.
The deadline to submit applications for the current public call is October 31.
