Sitemap

Comment

Pandemic Shows Agriculture’s Strategic Importance

The COVID-19 pandemic, which the whole world has been fighting courageously for more than a year, has resulted in consequences of unprecedented proportions in all segments of everyday life, business and the economy, but also reminded us, once again, that food is our most important resource

During the first days and weeks after the declaring of the pandemic, we witnessed similar scenes in all countries, regardless of their level of economic development and the habits of consumers – customers rushed en masse to shops to procure basic foodstuffs and secure for themselves supplies of flour, oil, yeast, rice, sugar, eggs, meat, pasta, frozen pastries, canned food etc.

And even at the global level, to this day, demand has increased on the international market for all goods from the agricultural sector, as countries are striving to ensure their own food security and create significant stockpiles, while we are also seeing record-breaking prices of agricultural products being reached.

Agriculture has been confirmed as the most important area of economic activity, and has shown stability, robustness and adaptability under these circumstances, continuing to produce at full speed and to distribute food to consumers on the domestic market and conduct export activities.

One such example is also represented by Serbian agriculture, which last year provided full food security to the population, gave a significant contribution to the country’s total GDP and managed to break records in terms of foreign trade exchanges.

Serbia realised exports of agricultural and food products in 2020 with a record high value of 4.2 billion dollars, as well as a foreign trade surplus of 1.85 billion dollars.

Serbia realised exports of agricultural and food products in 2020 with a record high value of 4.2 billion dollars, as well as a foreign trade surplus of 1.85 billion dollars

Serbian agricultural exports have grown by as much as 50 per cent over the last two years. And export prospects are expanding even further – the Chinese market is now open to corn from Serbia, while exports of Serbian products to Bahrain – which is interested in forest fruits and berries, beef and lamb, but also all vegetable crops – are expected to be able to commence soon. A readiness to deepen cooperation with Serbia in agriculture has also been expressed by Iran, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Thus, producers from Serbia will have an opportunity to achieve even higher exports and better profits, given the continuing trend of increased demand for food around the world, as well as the constant growth of food prices that has been recorded for months.

According to the latest report of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the prices of food products on global markets continued to rise in March, for the tenth consecutive month, with prices of dairy products, meat and vegetable oils rising the most.

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of five basic foodstuffs – vegetable oils, dairy products, meat, cereals and sugar – averaged 118.5 points in March this year, which was 2.1% higher than in February and the highest level since June 2014.

Comment

Census Results Cause Concern

The Ministry of Education claims to be exerting ongoing efforts to reform education, but census results indicate the need for more work. The “Platform...

By Iva Draškić Vićanović Ph.D., Dean of the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philology

Restore Teachers’ Dignity

The proposals presented in our Platform are viable over the short term, require no large and lasting reforms and could lead to major visible...

Comment by Prof. dr Slobodan Zečević

The Mirage of the European Oasis

Serbia officially began EU accession negotiations in January 2014. Over the subsequent decade, 22 of the 35 accession negotiation chapters have been opened and...

Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia

Easier Access to the Western Balkans’ Single Market

The EU aims to involve Western Balkans partners with its Member States on equal terms, fostering a reform partnership that’s oriented towards the future...

Kushner Eyes Balkan Luxury Developments in Serbia and Albania

Jared Kushner, closely related to former U.S. President Donald Trump as his son-in-law, is turning his attention to the...

European Parliament Passes Groundbreaking AI Law

The European Parliament has adopted the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, aiming to safeguard fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of...

European Parliament Members Endorse Western Balkan Reform and Growth Instrument

Members of the European Parliament's committees on foreign affairs and budget have officially adopted a stance on the Western...

US Leads Global Oil Production for the Sixth Consecutive Year

The United States has maintained its position as the world's leading oil producer for the sixth year in a...

Balkan Borders Blur as Free Labor Movement Pact Launches

Marking a significant shift in the labor markets of Southeast Europe, Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia have forged an...