Distribution of maize seeds to the flood affected agriculture producers started this week. Each producer who applied for maize receives two sowing units to complete spring sowing. This package also includes 400 kilograms of mineral fertilizer which is also delivered this week. Maize sowing season starts by the end of March, so the assisted farmers are fully provided for sowing.
The six members Family Despotović with three children from Mali Zvornik received EU support to rehabilitate the greenhouse production of vegetables. When the floods in May 2014 destroyed their two greenhouses, the family could not earn their income through market trade. Revenues outside the family business amount to approximately 45,000 RSD and additional financial resources are crucial to finance their children’s education. “EU support through provision of new greenhouse and irrigation systems means a lot to us, because we would not have been able to buy the greenhouse and continue with the vegetable production by ourselves. Our family is now able to resume normal life again,” said Miloš Depostović, the father of three.
The Despotović Family is one of more than 400 beneficiary entrepreneurs in the municipalities hardest affected by the floods which were supported by the EU to restore their income generation activities. Within this lot, greenhouses are delivered to the selected agriculture entrepreneurs, while equipment and raw material are provided to the affected businesses.
So far, 107 houses in Obrenovac, Krupanj, Svilajnac, Varvarin, Paraćin, Gornji Milanovac, Bajina Bašta, Šid, Malo Crniće, Valjevo, Osečina, Smederevo, Smederevska Palanka, Požega, Loznica, Ruma and Mionica have been constructed, while 716 flood affected homes have been rehablitated in Obrenovac, Krupanj, Kraljevo, Lazarevac, Svilajnac, Trstenik, Varvarin, Valjevo, Mali Zvornik, Ljubovija, Šabac, Bajina Bašta, Šid, Loznica, Smederevska Palanka, Velika Plana, Čačak, Ub, Koceljeva, Jagodina and Paraćin. The field verification of additional beneficiaries’ needs for reconstruction is ongoing in Paraćin, Smederevska Palanka, Čačak, Ub, Koceljeva and Jagodina. This is the part of private housing reconstruction process for the total of some 950 in 30 municipalities funded through the European Union Assistance for Flood Relief in Serbia Programme.
EU Flood Relief – Weekly Communications Update 19 March 2015
