Thanks to donation made by the European Union and the Swiss Federal Council through the European PROGRES development programme, farmers brought together within 17 Novi Pazar associations, members of the Inter-Municipal Union of Agricultural Associations, will as of today be able to use the new agricultural machinery for the production of cattle fodder.
The new equipment, for which the donors had allocated EUR36,000, was delivered today to the Novi Pazar agricultural associations, members of the Inter-Municipal Union of Agricultural Associations, which co-funded the project with EUR9,300. Over the next couple of days, the equipment will be delivered to 20 associations in Sjenica and Tutin, which are also members of the Inter-Municipal Union.
“The 90 new tractor attachments will help us to improve the quality of and speed up the cattle fodder preparing process, allowing us to mow more land five times faster. The new machinery will also improve our preparation of the land for sowing,” said Ismet Sajtaric, the Director of the Inter-Municipal Union of Agricultural Associations, which brings together 37 agricultural associations (a total of 334 farms) in Novi Pazar, Sjenica and Tutin.
Sajtaric highlighted that the project fostered cooperation among the farmers, who would be using the new machinery together and under the same terms and were expected to increase their milk and meat production by 30 percent as of current season.
“The only way to harness the substantial potential of agriculture in Serbia is to continuously put money into the application of new knowledge and technologies. This way, the EU and the Swiss Government are giving an opportunity to members of this union to implement their ideas and improve their production in concert, through cooperatives and associations,” said European PROGRES Programme Manager Graeme Tyndall on the occasion of handing the equipment over.
“Agriculture is among the priorities of region and now, having new equipment, the farmers are ready to start the new agricultural season,” said Deputy Speaker of the Novi Pazar City Assembly Nihad Hasanovic.
The European Union and the Government of Switzerland have allocated a total of EUR208,000 for the improvement of agricultural production, notably for the implementation of projects of five agricultural associations and two agricultural cooperatives in South-East and South-West Serbia, selected within the second stage of the call for proposals aimed at supporting agricultural production associations. Thirty-two cooperatives and associations took part in the first stage, during which they had the opportunity to acquire and improve their knowledge of cooperative and association management, finance and marketing, to exchange experience with French farmers and learn more about the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance in Rural Development – IPARD.
The European Union and the Government of Switzerland will support the activities of the European PROGRESS programme, which contributes to the sustainable development of the South and South West Serbia, with a total of EUR24.46 million. Approved projects will be aimed at strengthening local administration, creating a favourable environment for the development of infrastructure and economy as well as improving the implementation of social inclusion and employment policy. The programme is implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
The municipalities included in the programme are as follows: Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, Nova Varos, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raska, Sjenica and Tutin in South West Serbia, as well as Prokuplje, Blace, Zitoradja, Kursumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Medvedja, Crna Trava, Vranje, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladicin Han, Presevo, Surdulica, Trgoviste, Brus, Aleksinac, Gadzin Han, Doljevac, Merosina, Svrljig, Babusnica, Bela Palanka and Knjazevac in South East Serbia.
