At the initiative of the municipality of Srebrenica, a joint project was launched in Podrinje, on both sides of the Drina, to construct meat and dairy processing factories in cooperation with an Austrian company to utilize the production capacities and employ the farmers in Srebrenica and its neighbouring municipalities, as well as the Serbian municipalities bordering it.

The Head of the municipality of Srebrenica Mladen Grujicic said that Srebrenica had a vast agricultural potential of 20,000 ha of arable land at its disposal. However, only 1.37% of it is being farmed at the moment due to village devastation and lack of appropriate conditions for the return of people to rural areas, said Grujicic. The opening of meat and dairy processing factories would revive the villages, incite meat production and enable the buyout of more than 8 million litres of milk on location, which is how much is produced in Srebrenica, Bratunac and two neighbouring municipalities on a yearly basis. He added that of the 15 million EUR needed for the project, the municipality of Srebrenica should provide 6 million which will, in addition to funds, necessitate training programmes for the producers and the people who would work in the processing facilities.

Following a discussion focused on ownership of processing plants, cooperation between the veterinary authorities of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska as regards exchange of experiences and suggestions where to apply for additional funds, the Committee settled on a conclusion which it would forward to the Government and President for further processing.

The options for cooperation with agricultural producers and processors from AP Kosovo-Metohija were presented by Velimir Stanojevic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. He said that the Ministry’s conclusion following the President’s visit to Kosovo-Metohija is that agriculture is crucial for the survival of the people in Kosovo-Metohija. The Ministry had extended a number of concrete agricultural incentives for the people in Kosovo-Metohija such as securing assistance to be forwarded to them via the Office for Kosovo-Metohija and established a Working Group to inspect the priorities of agricultural producers, said Stanojevic. Following the Working Group’s visit to Kosovo-Metohija it was ascertained that the farmers both in the enclaves and in the north of Kosovo-Metohija come up against huge administrative problems and lack appropriate processing facilities for their products. Stanojevic added that in Kosovo-Metohija it is essential to help the young people involved exclusively in agricultural production, serious agricultural producers in need of new mechanisation and live cattle and to build up the processing capacities. Another type of assistance for agricultural producers comes in the form of donations provided by private companies which are more than ready to help, Stanojevic concluded.

Following a short debate the Committee passed a conclusion on this item as well.

The Committee members also reviewed the initiative to amend the Rulebook on the conditions and procedure for the lease and use of state-owned agricultural land.

The ensuing discussion with the representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and the relevant administrations focused on the problems in the field after which the Committee concluded that the Rulebook on the conditions and procedure for the lease and use of state-owned agricultural land should be amended.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Marijan Risticevic.