Subcommittee Chairman Milija Miletic reminded the attending of the recent expansion of agrotourism in Serbia, saying that there is ample room for growth in the area, especially in marginal areas. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management had allocated 20 million RSD in its 2018 budget for rural development i.e. funds for the adaptation of existing or construction of new facilities, available to residents of a given place involved in agricultural or non-agricultural activities.

Milan Ivankovic of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Rural Development Sector said that though the budgetary allocation is modest, the Ministry has prepared incentives primarily for the construction of new or restoration of existing authentic buildings, where priority is given to young people, women and hosts obligated to promote local products. Ivankovic stressed that in 2018 IPARD funds would also be available – 2 to 8 million EUR per annum, while the total funds available by 2020 would be about 35 million EUR. The applicants will be eligible to draw money one fund only, be they national, local self-government or IPARD, and could receive between 5 and 300,000 EUR per claim.

The Subcommittee sitting was attended by Prof. Dr Branislav Pesic of the College of Agriculture and Food Technology in Prokuplje and Zoran Stojiljkovic of the Jablanica and Pcinja District Rural Development Centre who spoke about these areas’ agrotourism potentials.

The sitting was chaired by Subcommittee Chairman Milija Miletic, and attended by Subcommittee members Mladen Lukic and Dalibor Radicevic.