Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Dragan Glamočić stated that the draft budget for next year clearly shows that the government does not view agriculture as an expense, but as a strategic investment. “For next year, we have 136.5 billion dinars, and with an additional 11 billion dinars in fuel excise refunds, the total reaches 147.5 billion dinars, which is 7.1 percent of tax revenues. This represents nearly the same level of support as last year, with the important difference that today’s budget structure is far more development-oriented,” Glamočić said in an interview with Politika.
He emphasized that more than half of all subsidies in Serbia are directed toward agriculture, which he described as the clearest proof that the state fully supports farmers.
“Of that amount, 110.8 billion dinars is allocated exclusively for agricultural incentives implemented by the Directorate for Agrarian Payments,” Glamočić explained.
He noted that the budget funds are targeted where production resilience is most crucial.
“Climate change has forced us to adapt. The droughts of recent years, as well as increasingly frequent storms and extreme weather, are clear evidence that we cannot rely on old models,” he said.
“If we do not invest in irrigation, flood protection, modern machinery, agricultural facilities, and livestock development, we risk facing the same damages year after year,” Glamočić warned.
