The meeting of the College of Agriculture was held, where the representatives of the municipalities discussed the main issues related to the support of farmers, compensation of damages and cooperation between municipalities and central institutions.
The focus of the discussion was compensation for damages in agriculture.
It was emphasized that the municipalities have submitted all the documentation requested by the Prime Minister’s Office, while the damages recorded since 2023 have not yet been compensated.
The lack of sufficient coordination between the municipalities and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MAFDR) was highlighted, as well as the need for clarification of responsibilities and procedures for damage assessment and compensation, including certification and recognition of municipal officials’ assessments.
In this regard, the College of Agriculture expressed readiness for a joint meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, with the participation of representatives of the municipalities and AKA, to closely discuss the current problems in the sector, especially the issue of compensation for damages, inter-institutional coordination and other issues raised by the municipalities, as well as to determine concrete steps to overcome the situation of created.
The issue of additional engagement of municipal agriculture officials in the processes of the MAFRD was also raised.
It was emphasized that this commitment should be reviewed and evaluated, clarifying the tasks, responsibilities and the way of handling the additional work performed in function of the processes of the Ministry.
In relation to dealing with damages in the future, it was recalled that AKK has previously addressed a request to the Government and the Prime Minister for the creation of an emergency fund, taking into account that municipalities and farmers are facing extreme events and damages in the agricultural sector every year.
At the end of the meeting, the support of women farmers through affirmative measures in the municipal schemes of grants and subsidies was discussed.
After the presentation of the findings of the legal analysis, it was requested that the municipalities take concrete steps to implement the recommendations, through the revision of the municipal regulations, the benefit criteria and the scoring system, in order to create clearer opportunities for the benefit of women farmers from the municipal grants.
P.S. The translation into English and Serbian is automated with AI.
