According to Agrosmart, a businessman from Novi Sad, Petar Matijevic, the owner of the meat industry of the same name and a group of more than 70 companies, has reached 33,000 hectares of agricultural land, of which he owns 28,000 hectares.
On the news in the world media that the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, is the largest owner of agricultural land in the United States with a property of 100,000 hectares, Agrosmart announced today the latest data on ownership of agricultural land in Serbia, according to which Matijevic is “Serbian Bill Gates”.
Miodrag Kostic is no longer behind Matijevic, if you look at the total areas that are being cultivated. The second place was taken by Miroslav Aleksa, the founder and owner of the company Almex from Pancevo, who, according to Agrosmart, cultivates about 20,000 hectares, half of which he leases, and half of which he owns.
The Almex website contains information that he owns seven properties in Vojvodina with eight farms and cultivates 17,000 hectares, however, in the world of agribusiness, it is known that Aleksa exceeded those areas.
The next company in terms of the number of hectares it cultivates is Al Dahra, which in 2018 bought the property of the Agricultural Corporation Belgrade (PKB) and in that package close to 17,000 hectares of arable land. Al Dahra also owns an orchard on Fruska Gora, in the municipality of Irig.
Its company is Rudnap, which, according to the data from the website of this company, has fruit planted on 130 hectares, and according to the brochures issued by Al Dahra, the plan was to expand to 500 hectares.
Agricultural land prices are stable
Miodrag Kostic and his MK group are in the fourth place, because in the meantime he sold several properties. From the former about 25,000 hectares, of which he owned about 17,000, he now owns about 15,000 hectares.
Behind Kostic is the owner of Delta, Miroslav Miskovic, with about 13,000 hectares he cultivates in total, of which he manages about 10,000.
Along with Miskovic is now Krsta Coric, the owner of Coric agrarians from Basaid. According to Agrosmart, he manages about 12,000 hectares, half of which he leases. This company was initially engaged in the sale of agricultural machinery, but has been developing livestock production for years.
The Arab company Elit Agro, based in Abu Dhabi, bought the agricultural and tourist complex Zobnatica in Backa Topola in 2014 through its company Jugo Elit agro, founded in Belgrade. Zobnatica then owned 114 hectares, and 1,507 hectares in long-term lease.
Two years ago, Elit agro also bought the company Al Ravafed (Military Institution Morovic, Backa from Sivac, Jadran from Nova Gajdobra), which cultivated about 10,500 hectares, of which about 2,500 hectares are owned.
Agricultural land prices have been stable and have not risen significantly in recent years.
According to the data of the Republic Geodetic Authority, the most expensive arable land is in the Juznobacki district, where the prices went up to 31,000 euros per hectare. In Srem, in the last quarter of last year, they ranged from 1,150 to 30,700, and in the South Banat district from 400 to 20,050 euros, BiF reports.
