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Dusan Petrovic, a deputy president of the ruling Democratic party and former Minister of Justice, became a new Serbian Minister of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management.
Serbian Parliament adopted decision for reshuffling the government on March 14, 2011. Changed Government will have 17 ministries, down from 24. Ministry of Agriculture merged with Ministry of Trade and the new ministry will be called Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management. The Agriculture Minister Sasa Dragin, was among four ministries that left their offices in the government reshuffling.
The new Minister of Agriculture will inherit significant number of problems including: low agriculture budget, lack of adequate agriculture policy, extremely increase of the food prices, problems with existing monopolies in the Serbian agriculture, farmers's dissatisfaction with existing government support, critics from public due to recent shortages of staple food commodities etc.
Agriculture is still one of the most important industries of the Serbian economy. According to Serbian Agriculture Ministry data, Serbia’s agricultural sector, including hunting and forestry, contributed about 11 percent to gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010. Agricultural exports continued to expand and contributed about 22.4 percent of total Serbian exports, reaching record surplus of about one billion USD in 2010. As per current statistical data, about 26 percent of Serbia’s labor force is actively employed in agriculture. Serbia has 4.2 mil ha of arable land (0.56 ha per citizen); 90 percent is privately owned and 10 percent belongs to the government; about 700,000 households of which 450,000 are registered and about 120,000 with retired farmer’s.
Harvest yields account 57 percent of the total agricultural production while cattle breeding accounts for 33 percent. Vineyard and orchards account for 5 percent and 4 percent respectively. 60 percent of the harvest products is made up of cereals and only 18 percent is vegetable. The breeding industry includes pig, cow, poultry and sheep breeding respectively accounting for 41 percent, 40 percent, 14 percent and 5 percent of total breeding industry production.
Serbian Parliament adopted decision for reshuffling the government on March 14, 2011. Changed Government will have 17 ministries, down from 24. Ministry of Agriculture merged with Ministry of Trade and the new ministry will be called Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management. The Agriculture Minister Sasa Dragin, was among four ministries that left their offices in the government reshuffling.
The new Minister of Agriculture will inherit significant number of problems including: low agriculture budget, lack of adequate agriculture policy, extremely increase of the food prices, problems with existing monopolies in the Serbian agriculture, farmers's dissatisfaction with existing government support, critics from public due to recent shortages of staple food commodities etc.
Agriculture is still one of the most important industries of the Serbian economy. According to Serbian Agriculture Ministry data, Serbia’s agricultural sector, including hunting and forestry, contributed about 11 percent to gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010. Agricultural exports continued to expand and contributed about 22.4 percent of total Serbian exports, reaching record surplus of about one billion USD in 2010. As per current statistical data, about 26 percent of Serbia’s labor force is actively employed in agriculture. Serbia has 4.2 mil ha of arable land (0.56 ha per citizen); 90 percent is privately owned and 10 percent belongs to the government; about 700,000 households of which 450,000 are registered and about 120,000 with retired farmer’s.
Harvest yields account 57 percent of the total agricultural production while cattle breeding accounts for 33 percent. Vineyard and orchards account for 5 percent and 4 percent respectively. 60 percent of the harvest products is made up of cereals and only 18 percent is vegetable. The breeding industry includes pig, cow, poultry and sheep breeding respectively accounting for 41 percent, 40 percent, 14 percent and 5 percent of total breeding industry production.
http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/A%20new%20Minister%20of%20Agriculture%20appointed%20in%20Serbia%20_Belgrade_Serbia_3-15-2011.pdf
