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Poultry farmers in Serbia are afraid that they will have to shut down farms

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Poultry breeders in Serbia are worried that they will have to shut down their farms if Serbia decides to adopt the practice of the European Union for the transition to free breeding and the gradual ban on cage breeding of laying hens, write the Agrosmart and Vojvodina Research and Analytical Center (VOICE).
Authorities are silent or have no information about that, and the potential problem is pointed out not only by farmers, but also by associations that advocate respect for animal welfare and the “release of chickens”.
The European Commission announced that it will pass a legislative proposal by the end of 2023, which would gradually reduce it, and then completely abolish cage animal breeding by 2027. European Union member states have set out their dates for adapting to this initiative.
It is currently the practice in Serbia to move from commercial breeding in stacked cages to the so-called enriched cages, which aim to increase the space for chickens, but not to remove the partitions and slopes under which the animals stand.
The decision on the obligatory use of such cages was extended from 2020 to 2023, and until the day the article was published, the portals did not receive a comment on this topic from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.
In the European Union, the transition to enriched cages was defined by law in 2012, and today, when organic production has become a priority, it has been overcome.
The representative of the “Let’s Break Cages” campaign, Jelena Disic, says that any endeavor to stop the exploitation of animals is good and that they fully support the European initiative because at some point it will demand a change in the Rulebook on animal welfare conditions.
Director of the Poultry Association “Poultry Association” Rade Skoric claims that there are benefits from cage keeping of laying hens, because the closed space for keeping chickens is controlled, which is of great importance for preventing the spread of diseases such as bird flu or those transmitted by rodents.
Farmer Radoslav Brkic, whose farm has more than three thousand chickens, believes that switching to a different production would mean a loss of capacity, so they would not be able to get enough eggs to feed people all over Serbia.
Veterinarian Zoran Kojic claims that due to inhumane conditions, chickens often have eating disorders, and that the main reason why the response to the transition to enriched cages in Serbia is weak is that new cages are expensive, which is why the decision on mandatory use of enriched cages is constantly delayed.
Farmers in Serbia can receive an incentive from the IPARD fund to build and equip farms. Assistance of up to 65% of the value of the investment through this program is available only to farmers who switch from breeding in battery cages to enriched cages, and not to those who decide to keep poultry on the floor or freely.
Ana Karanovic, a farmer whose breeding of chickens and other feathered animals is based exclusively on free-boiling in nature, says that she decided for this kind of production because it is healthier.
“Eggs are laid every third or fourth day, depending on the weather conditions. It also happens that eggs are stolen by stray dogs or eagles,” stated Ana Karanovic and added that this type of production still pays off for her because, although there are fewer eggs, they are sold at a higher price, Nova reports.

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