State and Possibilities for Development of Livestock Production in the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

Basic features of the agricultural production in Serbia are small average farm size, small plots of land, low competitiveness, and problems with financing. An average farm size in Serbia is only 5.4 hectares of utilized agricultural area, while a majority of livestock farms have less than 5 livestock units. Livestock products do not have significant participation within structure of agricultural export, which indicates that a lot of resources in livestock breeding are not sufficiently used. This chapter perceives the present situation and analyzes development possibilities for livestock production in Serbia. To enhance livestock production, it is necessary to overcome obstacles such as investments and their financing, technology improvement, and marketing problems. State support is crucial in the entire process. Development of livestock breeding could reduce rural poverty and development of rural areas, primarily in hilly and mountainous regions.