Serbian Agriculture Research Articles

HUMAN CAPITAL AS A DEVELOPMENT FACTOR OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Authors explore the role of human capital in organic agriculture in Serbia. Through semi-structured interviews with 64 individual farmers holding organic production certificates, key aspects of human capital, including education level, language proficiency and ICT usage were analyzed. Findings reveal a disparity between conventional and organic farming in terms of computer literacy and ICT utilization, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to enhance technological adoption in organic farming. Moreover, the study identifies the importance of membership in agricultural associations for organic farmers, facilitating knowledge exchange and market penetration. The results suggest that human capital plays a pivotal role in driving advancements in organic agriculture, with implications for the sustainability and growth of the sector in Serbia. This underscores the necessity for future research to go deeper into human capital dynamics and their implications for sustainable agricultural development.

Articulating Organic Agriculture and Sustainable Development Goals: Serbia Case Study

With the greening of agriculture, there is a need to better link the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and organic agriculture in developing countries. However, in Serbia, there is a huge gap between the potential of their implementation and the actual situation. This paper assessed the strengths and weaknesses of SDGs and organic agriculture in Serbia and how their relationship can contribute in the development of sustainable agriculture. Key data and indicators of the economic, agricultural and social development of Serbia from international and national databases, as well as recent publications related to the selected topic, were assesed. The results showed that the restricted development of organic agriculture in Serbia stems from the undeveloped awareness of consumers, slower acceptance of alternative agricultural systems and the volatility of mainstream conventional agricultural production. The integration of organic agriculture into the largest conceptual and strategic frameworks, such as the SDGs, can offer a true transformation of local food systems and could result in positive feedback to the environment and society. In the long term, the SDGs framework can help connect various dimensions of sustainable agriculture, stakeholders and policymakers. The future focus should be on how to create entry points for agricultural transformation based on certified organic methodologies and how to integrate agricultural heritage into the realisation of SDGs.

SMALL FAMILY FARMS CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SERBIAN AGRICULTURE

Family farms can play a crucial role in the successful and sustainable development of Serbian agriculture. There are several reasons why family farms are significant for the sustainable development of Serbian agriculture, and some of the most important points are: economic contribution, food security, diverse agriculture, market access, local knowledge and tradition. According to the 2018 Farm Structure Survey (FSS), there were 564 541 farms in Serbia, of which 99.71% were classified as family farms with an average size of 4.5 hectares per farm. Moreover, the average economic size of a family farm is 8610 Euros and is 45% higher than in 2012, but still four times smaller than the average in the EU. When evaluating small family farms, it is very important to analyze the age and education level of the farm manager. The average age of the farm managers is 61 years, and in addition, the majority of farm managers (48.6%) have acquired agricultural knowledge only through practical experience. In order to support the capacity of small family farms for sustainable rural development in Serbia, the government and various stakeholders need to: provide policy support, educate and train farmers, improve access to resources and markets, develop infrastructure, and promote research and innovation that meet the needs of family farms. By focusing on these areas to increase the potential of family farms and providing the necessary support, Serbia can build a resilient, sustainable, and economically viable agricultural sector that benefits both rural communities and the overall economy.

ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM OF AGRICULTURAL SOCIAL FRANCHISING

Although the implementation of the social franchising concept is relatively new in agricultural business, examples of successful business stories have recently appeared, especially in the underdeveloped countries of Asia, Africa and South America. The aim of the paper is to determine the best examples of entrepreneurial ecosystems of agricultural social franchising by applying a qualitative multiple case study analysis and point out the importance of the implementation of agricultural social franchising in the development of agribusiness in the Republic of Serbia. The experiences of analyzed social agricultural franchises from Kenya, Bangladesh and Nigeria can serve as an example of good practice for the development of social franchising in rural areas in Serbia, with the aim of developing productive agriculture that will lead to economic development. It is very important to enable the development of social agricultural franchising through the Strategy of agriculture and rural development, bearing in mind a number of benefits that can be realized in Serbian agriculture, primarily when it comes to the development of rural areas and the increase in the income and social welfare of farmers.

COMPARATIVE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICE PRODUCTION SECTORS IN SERBIA AND CROATIA

The paper analyzes fruit and vegetable juice production sectors in Serbia and Croatia, with a special emphasis on the analysis of financial performance indicators. Costeffectiveness, profitability and liquidity indicators over the five-year period have been calculated on the basis of financial data. The aim of the paper is to examine whether there is a statistically significant difference between these indicators in the sectors of the two countries. Having in view that previous research results indicate a lower level of technical effectiveness of Serbian agriculture compared to EU countries, the paper examines the potential of the processing sector in generating new value and the possibility of creating a new product from primary agricultural products with considerably better business results. Based on the statistically significant difference in the mean values of financial indicators, the conclusion is that this sector in Serbia is more liquid and profitable than the counterpart sector in Croatia.

FINANCING THE AGRICULTURAL POLICY IN SERBIA AND HARMONIZATION WITH THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Agriculture is one of the most important economic branches. Previously, the aim of the agricultural policy was to provide sufficient food for all inhabitants. However, today, thanks to the application of innovations in agriculture, there is enough food for everyone, but it is not properly distributed in all parts of the world. Many people still do not have the basic conditions for a healthy life. The goal of modern agricultural policy is to provide high-quality, health-safe food to everyone in the world, and to reduce food waste while preserving biodiversity and protecting the environment. The importance of agriculture as an economic branch in Serbia is extremely large, considering the geopolitical position of Serbia, favorable climatic conditions, and quality arable land. Serbia is still not a member of the European Union, and to become one, it is necessary to harmonize all laws and regulations. The largest part of the work is precisely around agricultural policy, given that more than a third of all laws and regulations are related to the Common Agricultural Policy [CAP]. Serbian agriculture, as well as other economic branches, have not yet reached the standards defined by the European Union. Therefore, it is very important that the Serbian regulations are harmonized with the European Union regulations, because only in this way there can be faster development of agriculture and other economic branches. The topic of this paper will be the financing of the agricultural policy in Serbia in relation to the financing of the agricultural policy of the countries of the European Union. There will be more talk about how and from which sources Serbian agriculture is financed, but also about the help that the European Union provides to Serbia and other countries that are candidates for membership in the European Union. Given that the financing of the European Union's agricultural policy is based on two pillars - direct payments and market interventions and financing of rural development, this paper will show to what extent the financing of Serbian agriculture is in line with the financing of agriculture in the European Union. It will be pointed out how funds in the agricultural budget are allocated to measures related to market interventions, but also to rural development measures. As the imperatives of modern agricultural policy are the preservation of biodiversity, environmental protection, better living standards of the agricultural population, development of infrastructure in rural areas, the conclusion is that more attention is paid to the second pillar of the agricultural policy of the European Union, which is the financing of rural development. However, even in the European Union, more than 50% of the agricultural budget is directed to the financing of the first pillar, market interventions. In Serbia, this trend is even more pronounced, so more attention should be paid to the financing of rural development.

AGRICULTURAL BUDGET IN THE FUNCTION OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO

Organic agricultural production requires higher financial investments than conventional agricultural production. Seed prices are higher, labor costs are higher, and there is the additional cost of certification. That is why the existence of incentive measures of agricultural policy is necessary for organic agriculture. The aim of the paper is to present the incentives paid from the agricultural budget for organic agriculture in Serbia and Montenegro. The authors conclude that subsidies for organic agriculture, although they are paid continuously and are a significant incentive, have a small percentage share in the agricultural budget in both countries. In Serbia, 1% and 3% of registered farms in Montenegro practice organic agriculture.

IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION ON GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

The goal of this research is to quantify the influence of each segment of agricultural production individually on the formation of the total gross domestic product in Serbia. For the purposes of the research, the gross domestic product at the level of Serbia, expressed at current prices, was used as the dependent variable. On the other hand, the values of agricultural production (plant production, vegetable production and horticultural products, livestock production, production of livestock products, and agricultural services) expressed also in current prices were observed as independent variables. The research used regression analysis. The most important result of this research is that plant production is recommended as the dominant direction of Serbian agriculture, given that its influence is most pronounced when it comes to the formation of the value of agricultural production, and therefore the total gross domestic product of Serbia.

Dosadašnji značaj i uloga Poljoprivrednog fakulteta u Beogradu na razvoj i primenu melioracija u Republici Srbiji

The development of agriculture in Serbia would not have been possible without the implementation of ameliorative measures. Measures to improve the soil water regime in our country have existed throughout modern era, but very significant ameliorative practices have been implemented in the last 100 years, coinciding with the establishment of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade. In Serbia, after the First World War, extensive work was carried out in the field of drainage, which underwent a real expansion after the Second World War. In the period from 1950 to 1970, drainage systems were built on about 1.5 million hectares, and by 1990 the total drained area exceeded 2.01 million hectares. Alongside the construction of drainage systems, dams were built on the major rivers to protect coastal areas from flooding. A significant achievement is the construction of the Danube-Tisza-Danube water system (1947-1977), which involved complex and versatile water management in Vojvodina. The introduction of irrigation in agriculture progressed much more slowly than drainage. The total irrigated area in 1990 was about 120,000 hectares, and today, after the crisis-ridden 1990s, it amounts to about 100,000 hectares. Nowadays, it is necessary to design additional drainage systems where problems of this kind arise, whereas the potential areas for irrigation are considerably larger. Until the beginning of the 21st century, various ameliorative activities were the focus of technical and research activity: soil surveys, investigation of the soil physical and water characteristics, soil chemical amelioration , the application of horizontal pipe drainage, soil recultivation, soil conservation, introduction of large machines for pressurised irrigation and application of drip irrigation methods. More recently, modern technologies and contemporary global trends such as the use of GIS, remote sensing, soil water balance monitoring, crop cover monitoring, micrometeorological measurements, automation of irrigation systems and crop growth modelling have been introduced alongside the application of traditional methods. The last decade has been marked by researches focused on the effects of climate change on agricultural production. The importance of the Soil and Water Management department is reflected in the training of professionals who are able to keep pace with technological changes and apply them to the management of soil and water resources, from the planning and implementation of new hydromeliorative systems to the maintenance of old systems and the management of crop production.

Sustainability of Small Farms in Serbia: A Comparative Analysis with the European Union

Throughout the EU, small farms have varying degrees of importance, which points to the need to analyse the role of small farms. This study, in addition to EU countries, includes Serbia, a candidate country for EU membership. This study aims to provide an overview of agriculture’s structural characteristics by creating an Index of Agricultural Structural Characteristics (ASC Index). The analysis was carried out at the regional level, which provides a more detailed overview of the structural characteristics of agriculture in the EU and Serbia. The results indicate several regional differences in the EU along north–south and west–east divisions. Serbian agriculture is predominantly made up of small farms and corresponds to the southern model of European agriculture. In terms of the west–east division, Serbian agriculture also corresponds to the structure of Central and Eastern Europe countries (CEEC), with which it shares a historical heritage of a centrally planned economy. Changes in Serbian agricultural policy must be directed toward regions with unfavourable structural characteristics. Special attention should be given to small farms in cases where there is potential to improve competitiveness and where there is a good basis for improving the social sustainability of rural areas.

Enhancing Capacity for Short-Term Climate Change Adaptations in Agriculture in Serbia: Development of Integrated Agrometeorological Prediction System

The Integrated Agrometeorological Prediction System (IAPS) was a two-year project for the development of the long term forecast (LRF) for agricultural producers. Using LRF in decision-making, to reduce the risks and seize the opportunities, represents short-term adaptation to climate change. High-resolution ensemble forecasts (51 forecasts) were made for a period of 7 months and were initiated on the first day of each month. For the initial testing of the capacity of LRF to provide useful information for producers, 2017 was chosen as the test year as it had a very hot summer and severe drought, which caused significant impacts on agricultural production. LRF was very useful in predicting the variables which bear the memory of the longer period, such are growing degree days for the prediction of dates of the phenophases’ occurrences and the soil moisture of deeper soil layers as an indicator for the drought. Other project activities included field observations, communication with producers, web portal development, etc. Our results showed that the selected priority forecasting products were also identified by the producers as being the highest weather-related risks, the operational forecast implementation with the products designed for the use in agricultural production is proven to be urgent and necessary for decision-making, and required investments are affordable. The total cost of the full upgrade of agrometeorological climate services to meet current needs (including monitoring, seamless forecasting system development and the development of tools for information dissemination) was found to be about three orders of magnitude lower than the assessed losses in agricultural production in the two extreme years over the past decade.

Foreign Direct Investment in the Function of Increasing the Competitiveness of Serbian Agriculture (perspectives of organic agriculture)

In this paper, the authors emphasize the importance of foreign direct investment in Serbian agriculture. In the contemporary world, we are witnessing a large number of significant changes of the social, economic and technological nature, as well as the new challenges facing the national economies at the macro and micro levels. In the contexts of globalization and integration into the modern economy, issues are related to competitiveness and ensuring the highest quality of national business environment. In these conditions, when almost all the raw materials are available, natural advantages have almost the only effect on competition policy. Agriculture is a broad term, which, in addition to primary agricultural production, includes manufacturing, i.e. production of finished food products.

Efficiency analysis of agriculture in Serbia based on the CODAS method

The issue of analyzing the efficiency of agriculture on the basis of multi-criteria decision-making methods is very current, complex and significant. Based on that, this paper investigates the efficiency factors of agriculture enterprises in Serbia using the CODAS method. The AHP method is used to calculate the weight coefficients of the criteria. The AHP method is used to calculate the weight coefficients of the criteria. The goal and purpose of that is to process the given problems through the complex theoretical, methodological and empirical prisms in the function of improving the efficiency of agriculture in Serbia in the future by taking appropriate measures. The theoretical and practical significance of the research of the treated problem in this paper is reflected in the fact that the application of the CODAS method provides a more realistic situation in relation to the ratio analysis in order to improve the efficiency of agriculture in Serbia in the future by taking adequate measures. There are no similar studies in the literature for other countries, which makes international comparison difficult. Research using this method and including the period from 2013 to 2020 has showed that agriculture in Serbia were the most efficient in 2018. Then we have: 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013. Recently, under the positive influence of numerous macro and micro factors, the efficiency of agriculture in Serbia has significantly improved. The effects of Covid-19 on the performance of agriculture in Serbia have, among other things, been mitigated to some extent with increased electronic sales of agriculture products.

Reafirmacija agrarne politike u delu Dragoljuba Jovanovića - pogled u prošlost, osvrt na sadašnjost i temelj za budućnost

The problem of agriculture was one of the central issues in the scientific and, later, in the political activities of Dragoljub Jovanović. His understanding of the importance of agriculture, as well as diagnosing the problems that the village, as a territorial unit of agriculture, and the peasant, as a basic economic entity, face in agriculture, is an important basis for analyzing both past and present problems of Serbian agriculture. The answer to the dilemma about Serbian agriculture as its development opportunity, or as a kind of myth that has lasted for more than a century, can be found in Jovanović's most important conclusions. In this paper, we will present his concept of agricultural policy by analyzing two key categories: the village (and the peasant) and cooperatives. Relying on the established conclusions, we will offer some useful guidelines for the future development of agriculture in Serbia.

Potential of organic production from the perspective of youth in Serbia

Organic agriculture in Serbia is represented by only 0.4% of total agricultural production, which places Serbia at the back of list of European countries and countries in the region. Such production should be part of a rural development strategy. The aim of this work was to establish what would be the motivation of young people to start organic production, on which the perspective of this production depends. A survey conducted on 100 young people, students of the Unit for Agricultural and Business Studies and Tourism was used as a method of work. The results of the survey were summarized, presented as a percentage and described. The results of the survey indicate that 70% of respondents would like to engage in organic plant production, primarily due to the production of high quality food and environmental protection. However, the main shortcomings are insufficient information, insufficient financial support, difficult plant protection and insufficiently organized purchase of products. Most young people would choose to engage in fruit growing (53%).

Ensuring the improvement of agricultural competitiveness through the human resource development

Human resources are one of the driving forces and main determinants of agricultural competitiveness, contributing to its improvement through properly formed and constantly renewed knowledge and skill enhancement of agricultural workers. In the context of scarce natural resources, demographic changes, need for more intensive agricultural production based on modern technology, human resource development in agriculture becomes imperative. The aim of the research is to assess the human resources in agriculture of Serbia through the prism of data available in the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia and World Bank. The research results show fluctuations in the rural population and employees in agriculture in the analysed period, confirming their negative trend and predicting further decrease based on the forecast method. In order to overcome limitations related to the number and qualifications of agricultural employees, the special focus has been given to the formal and informal education of workers in agriculture, ensuring their capability to respond to market needs and future challenges.

The role of agriculture in the economic structure of Serbia and budget support for rural development of Kladovo municipality

The purpose of writing the paper is the situation in agriculture in Serbia and the municipality of Kladovo, as well as the importance it achieves in the economic structure. At the level of Serbia, the importance of agriculture, forestry and fisheries (AFF) is analyzed through their contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) creation from 2016 to 2020, while for the municipality level the importance is determined by the amount of funds allocated in the local self-government unit (LSU) for the needs of agriculture from 2018 to 2020. The obtained results indicate a high share of AFF in GDP creation (6.3% during 2020) and a low share of budget funds in the total budget of the municipality for support of rural development (2.34% in 2020). The aim of this paper is to analyze the possibilities for further development of agriculture in the Republic and the Municipality. The paper uses methods of critical analysis of relevant literature, as well as descriptions for interpreting the results obtained by empirical research.

Determinante konkurentnosti proizvođača poljoprivrednih proizvoda u Republici Srbiji

In Serbia, agriculture is a traditional economic sector, with a competitive advantage whose components are agricultural producers themselves, regional specialization, trade agreements with the EU and the Russian Federation, EU funds, organic production, domestic market, free land in Serbia, and agricultural products themselves - fruits, vegetables, industrial plants and cereals - which account for almost a quarter of total exports. Favorable climatic conditions and natural potentials are a comparative advantage of Serbian agriculture, but they are not sufficiently used, so they represent a weakness. The quality of agricultural products, the consolidation of agricultural holdings, which would directly affect the reduction of costs and prices, marketing and management are determinants of competitive advantages. Their improvement would significantly increase sales in target markets, increase export activities, and direct the agricultural economy and the overall economy of Serbia through development.

The Development of Organic Agriculture in Serbia and Worldwide

Summary Organic agriculture is a food production system that sustains the health of people, soils and ecosystems with no adverse consequences, combining tradition, innovation and science. The development of such type of agricultural production, from its beginnings to the present day, has encompassed a number of specific stages both in Serbia and worldwide. Accordingly, the purpose of this survey study is to present the developmental course of organic agricultural production in Serbia and worldwide. The paper also summarises the state of organic plant production across different regions of Serbia, arguing that the Serbian organic production has been increasing since the 1990s. Following the political changes in Serbia in 2000, foreign donations, investments and organisations have significantly enhanced the country’s organic production sector as a whole. The largest number of organic producers (1/3) and the largest areas devoted to organic farming are concentrated in Vojvodina.

Analysis of current state and limiting factors for the development of organic sector in Serbia

The aim of this paper is to analyse the current situation and potential for the development of organic agriculture in Serbia. Despite the favourable agri-ecological conditions for the development of organic agriculture, this branch of agriculture in Serbia significantly lags behind the world and European average in terms of the percentage of agricultural land under organic production. The motive for the conducted analysis within this paper stems from the fact that the demand for organic products in the EU has been increasing at a rate of about 10% annually in recent years, which represents a chance for Serbian agriculture. Data sources used are from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia (MAFWM), Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (SORS) and Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FIBL) while the basic research method is interview with experts and participants in organic agriculture. The results of the analysis show that the main limiting factors for the development of Serbian organic agriculture are dominance of small and economically weak producers and insufficient consumer confidence in organic products. The path to the development of organic agriculture is in the increased cooperatives activity and the improvement of consumer confidence in organic products.