Croatia launches 2 million euro programme for farmers in Serbia

More than 250 farmers from Serbia's Croatian community received financial support contracts in Đardin under a programme funded with €2 million by the Croatian government.

The contracts marked the launch of the first programme providing direct economic support to Croatian farmers in Serbia, CE Report quotes HINA.

The programme is aimed at developing agriculture and encouraging Croats to remain in their communities by making their farms more competitive and sustainable, Croatian Agriculture Minister David Vlajčić said.

Projects worth up to €10,000 were supported, with most investments involving agricultural machinery, planting new crops, increasing livestock numbers, improving competitiveness and protecting farms. Vlajčić said a call for applications would also be issued next year.

Jasna Vojnić, president of the Croatian National Council in Serbia and a member of the Croatian Parliament, said the support was particularly important because a large part of the Croatian community in Serbia depended on agriculture for their livelihoods.

The Agriculture Development Programme for the Croatian Community in Serbia is implemented by the Cro-Fond Foundation, with support from the Croatian Agriculture Ministry and the Central State Office for Croats Abroad.

A total of 387 applications were submitted, of which 257 were approved following evaluation and an appeals process. The funding is intended for the development and modernisation of farms, with applications most commonly seeking support for agricultural machinery and equipment, irrigation systems, greenhouses, beekeeping equipment, processing, fruit growing and other specialised equipment.

Most of the 257 beneficiaries are from Bačka, the Danube region and Srem, where most ethnic Croats traditionally live.

Cro-Fond said the programme was intended as the beginning of more systematic support for Croatian farmers in Serbia rather than a one-off measure.

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