At its thirty-sixth session, held on 25 October, the Agriculture Committee discussed reports submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management on the 2005 harvest and preparations for the autumn sowing. The reports were presented by the State Secretary of the Ministry, Danilo Golubovic.
Harvest is late due to heavy rains in September. According to Ministry data, about 30% of the corn crop was harvested; the figures for sugar beet, sunflower and soy are 40%, 90%, and 80%, respectively. Payment of premiums for the production of industrial crops was again approved this year. Half of the mercantile wheat needed for the autumn harvest was already secured; the tilling of the land and the corn harvest would be late due to the late harvest.
After discussion, the Committee adopted Conclusions proposing the Ministry to broaden its harvest and autumn sowing campaign and implement measures to ensure adequate supplies of diesel fuel and artificial fertiliser were available, as well as to pay premiums for industrial crops, which have not been paid to date.
The Committee also discussed a report of the Ministry on assets expended on providing loans and fostering agricultural development. In 2005, a total of 283 long-term and 1,266 short-term loans were provided from the Development Fund, while 23,341 long-term and 675 wheat-sowing loans were provided through the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. Another 677 requests to use such assets were discussed, pursuant to the Decree on the Use of Rural Development Incentives.
The Committee resolved to reconsider the report on agricultural loans, and to take a more active role in inspecting whether loans granted were indeed used in accordance with their purpose. A delegation of the Committee is to visit estates to which larger loans were granted in order to inspect how the assets are being used.