Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, through the Directorate for Agrarian Payments, has launched the fourth public call for the submission of applications for project approval under Measure 1 of the IPARD III program.
The call targets investments in the physical assets of agricultural holdings in the fruit sector. It will be open from 15 to 31 December 2025 and covers investments in the establishment and equipping of perennial commercial and mother plantations, as well as the purchase of new equipment directly linked to fruit production. Under this call, beneficiaries may receive IPARD incentives ranging from €20,000 to €1 million.
The scope of the call includes investments in physical assets and eligible costs related to the establishment and renewal of commercial fruit plantations, as well as the development of new mother plantations using higher phytosanitary categories of planting material. All investments must comply with Annex 1 of the Rulebook, which sets out the list of eligible investments and costs for physical assets of agricultural holdings under the IPARD III program.
The public call also covers investments in equipment, but exclusively within projects related to production facilities and supporting spaces and buildings that are directly used for fruit and fruit planting material production. Equipment intended for storage facilities, as well as equipment for the digitalization of production, is not eligible under this call.
A total of RSD 1,172,400,000 has been allocated for the implementation of the fourth IPARD III public call.
Detailed information is available in the official public call published HERE.
What Is IPARD?
The new funding comes from the European Union’s IPARD program—the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for Rural Development. The program is already underway, and Serbian farmers have so far had the opportunity to apply under two public calls.
Since 2001, the European Union has supported Serbia’s agricultural sector with more than €150 million. An additional €175 million in EU support was provided to farmers and agri-processors through the IPARD II program. The current IPARD III program is expected to offer even greater opportunities for Serbian farmers, granting access to €288 million in EU funds which, together with national co-financing and private contributions, could generate a total investment effect exceeding €550 million.
The main objectives of IPARD support are to increase the competitiveness of Serbian farmers, protect the environment and biodiversity, support rural businesses and communities, and develop rural infrastructure.
The EU market remains Serbia’s most important export destination for agricultural products, accounting for more than half of the country’s total agricultural exports.
