The data from the agricultural census in Serbia has raised concerns among agro-economists who are warning that it is necessary for policymakers to prevent the rapid decline of Serbian agriculture.
The first published data from the recently completed agricultural census has unpleasantly surprised agro-economic analysts, even though they expected negative trends and declines in this sector. According to RTS, in just five years, agricultural land has decreased by more than a fifth, while the number of farms has dropped by 10 percent. The most severe situation is in livestock farming.
Serious decline in the quantity of cattle and pigs
Agro-economist Milan Prostran previously stated to “Vreme” that the most pronounced decline is in the number of cattle and pigs.
“This is only for the past 11 years. In the nineties, we had almost 1.6 million cattle, and there were over 4.5 million pigs,” Prostran notes.
He says that only the number of beehives has increased, while everything else has a negative sign, “but that’s not meat; it’s honey, not meat.”
Compared to the ten-year average (2013-2022), there is about a 28 percent decrease in pigs and about an 18 percent decrease in cattle.
From the largest exporter to a deficit and imports
Serbia was once a net exporter of meat, exporting more meat than wheat, sugar, and oil, as our interlocutor notes, but today, meat is at the top as an imported item.
Prostran also pointed out that this is a question of increasing the budget, and it is necessary for the current nearly seven percent to be at least 10 percent of the total budget.
“Not to mention other consequences due to such a reduced number of all livestock. In this way, we have, above all, reduced the production of organic fertilizers, so the quality of agricultural land has started to decline,” he said earlier to “Vreme.”
Serbia could become dependent on imports
Experts also warn that Serbia could lose its food security and become a country dependent on food imports.
On average, agricultural households in Serbia cultivate 6.4 hectares, raise one cow, five pigs, three sheep, 43 poultry, and have three beehives. Those involved in agriculture on average are 60 years old, while only every eleventh head of a household is younger than 40.
In this sector, a total of 1,150,653 people work, which is 14 percent less than in 2018 when the Statistical Office conducted an agriculture survey.
Serbia must preserve food security, and this cannot be done without a serious agricultural policy.
Serious work awaits policymakers, not just dealing with mere subsidies, say experts.
They add that the description shows an accelerated trend of the decline of Serbian agriculture.
