In the village of Tolić near Mionica, Serbia and the European Commission signed the IPARD III financial agreement worth 288 million euros. The agreement was exchanged by the head of the EU Delegation in Serbia, Emmanuel Gioffre, and the Minister for European Integration, Tanja Miščević, with the presence of the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Aleksandar Martinović. The signing followed a visit to the farm of IPARD beneficiary Srđan Miletić, who specializes in broiler chicken farming.
IPARD III is a European Union grant program aimed at enhancing the efficiency of Serbian agriculture by investing in the physical assets of farms, rural infrastructure, technology and environmentally sustainable practices.
Minister Aleksandar Martinović highlighted that the new IPARD III grants represent a 65% increase over the previous IPARD II program, underscoring the program’s importance for Serbia’s agricultural sector. “This support is critical for our country and agricultural producers. We’ve already started implementing the IPARD III program by announcing public calls, and the response from users across the country has been strong,” said Martinović.
The minister also pointed to Srđan Miletić’s farm as a successful example of the benefits of the IPARD program and a symbol of the government’s commitment to improving the agricultural sector. “I am confident that the new IPARD III program will produce many more successful examples,” he added.
According to Martinović, 60% of the funds from the IPARD II program have already been used, and the aim now is to boost agricultural exports. “In recent years, we’ve seen an imbalance between crop production and animal husbandry. While we produce enough corn, wheat, and sunflowers, we’re facing a decline in livestock numbers, particularly pigs and cattle,” he noted. Strengthening this sector is seen as a major priority for the government.
“This is a significant challenge. We are not satisfied with the amount of meat we are producing, and our goal is to increase the livestock population in the coming period,” Martinović said.
Emmanuel Gioffre, head of the EU Delegation in Serbia, emphasized that the EU is committed to supporting Serbian farmers and helping them become competitive when Serbia eventually joins the EU. “The funds from the IPARD program have been significantly increased, reflecting the EU’s commitment to these goals. Serbia must make good use of these funds and increase its absorption capacity to ensure the best use of the available resources,” Gioffre stated.
Minister Tanja Miščević explained that the IPARD III program is designed to support both legal and natural persons in various Serbian regions, including Belgrade, Vojvodina, Šumadija, and parts of southern and eastern Serbia. The funds will help farmers acquire equipment and machinery, build or renovate agricultural facilities, and meet EU standards in hygiene, food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection.
Miščević also noted that the program would help improve production capacity, allowing Serbian producers to better process and market their goods within the EU.
Boban Janković, the president of the Mionica municipality, added that local initiatives would support agricultural development, especially in organic farming. “We are focused on integrating agriculture with tourism,” Janković said.
The IPARD II program initially launched in December 2017 with a budget of 175 million euros, benefiting over 1,100 farmers by the end of the program’s second cycle. IPARD III, which was adopted in March 2022, has an increased budget of 288 million euros to further support Serbia’s agricultural transformation.
