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The very first “Rural development and women in agribusiness fair” was opened by Milos Milovanovic, councilor of the Minister of Agriculture. This unique tree-day long manifestation, with a goal to promote rural development and participation of women in agriculture, was organized by the Association of Agricultural Journalists AGROPRESS in cooperation with USAID Agribusiness Project, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, GTZ and the host city.

Over one hundred exhibitors were proud to present their handmade products, offerings from: different kinds of honey that fight various health problems, Rakia with gold leaves, wines preferred by Tito, to traditionally modern garments, organic food, pottery, and products for improved agricultural production offered by many companies from this sector.

During these three days, three conferences were organized:

-          “Conference on agriculture and education system” was opened by Minister of Education Zarko Obradovic, and the lecturers provided an European perspective (Adriano Martins, Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union), as well as an American perspective (Louis Faoro, Director of USAID Agribusiness Project) on education. Jasmina Nikitovic-Stojicic, manager of the project “Women Entrepreneurs in Agribusiness”, also gave her insights and thoughts on how to educate women in rural areas and train them to be a strong player in agricultural sector.

After the conference in the Main Hall signing of an agreement between AGROPRESS and Regional Industrial Chamber of Kragujevac took place.

-          On the second day “Conference on rural development and women in agribusiness” took place. Exponents were Gordana Comic, Deputy President of National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Dragan Markovic, Adviser of the Deputy Prime minister of the Government of Serbia Mr. Bozidar Djelic, Dragan Stefanovic, Adviser in the Ministry of Agriculture, Verica Sapic, Director of the Department of Agriculture in the Regional Industrial Chamber of Kragujevac.

President of National Assambly of the Republic of Serbia Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic also visited the fair.

-          On the third closing day “Conference on agricultural mechanization” was prepared. It was opened by Zeljko Radosevic, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, and Snezana Zivanovic Katic took an active part as  Assistant Mayor of Kragujevac for Agriculture.

During three days of the “Rural development and women in agribusiness fair”, three workshops were conducted – “Who has the knowledge, has it”, “How to make zembilj”, a traditional bag made from corn leaf, and “Creative workshop for containers”.

Every day attentive exhibitors offered to guests a chance to win their products in a lottery.

 A closing ceremony of the “Fair of rural development and women in agribusiness” took place on Sunday afternoon with the sound of City String Orchestra from Stara Pazova. The Fair was officially closed by Aleksandar Radovic, journalist from Radio Beograd 1, winner of the award “Young Leader in Agricultural Journalism”, honored by the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists.

USAID Agribusiness project has launched the Program of support for agribusinesses in Serbia for improvement of food quality and safety, with the goal to enhance the quality and competitiveness of Serbian agricultural products. Introduction and certification of international standards will facilitate the sales of domestic products in increasingly demanding European and world markets.

The Program involves the following standards: GlobalGAP, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, Organic, IFS and BRC and is aimed at producers working in the selected sectors: berries; dairy; herbs, spices and mushrooms; livestock; tree fruit; vegetables.

USAID Agribusiness project support (professional and financial assistance) is intended for companies, agricultural cooperatives and individual agricultural producers with larger production capacities.

 All clients interested in introduction and/or certification of the following standards:

1. good agricultural practice in accordance with GlobalGAP standard;
2. environment management system–ISO 14001;
3. food safety management system– ISO 22000;
4. organic production – Organic;
5. IFS and
6. BRC

should contact the nearest regional USAID Agribusiness office (in Belgrade, Cacak or Novi Sad) or download a detailed Program description and application forms at http://www.agrobiznis.net/english/19/procurement/  The deadline for submission of applications and participation in this Program is March 1^st 2010.

USAID Agribusiness project works with Serbian agriculture producers in all phases of the production cycle, in order to increase the value of Serbian agricultural product sales and to enhance employment in the agricultural sector.

For additional information on the Program of support for agribusinesses in Serbia, please contact USAID Agribusiness offices:

•  Beograd, Internacionalnih brigada 57, Tel: 011/2436 611, Fax: 011/3445 363, Email: office@agrobiznis.net
• Čačak, Dragiše Mišovića 73, Tel/Fax: 032/371 554, E-mail: office@agrobiznis.net
• Novi Sad, Školska 3, Tel/Fax: 021/528 490, E-mail: office@agrobiznis.net

Twenty-five Serbian food producers will present their products to international buyers at the ANUGA Fair in Cologne from the 10th to the 14th of October. In 2007, this bi-annual event draw close to 6,800 exhibitors from 95 countries while 163,000 people from 174 countries visited the fair.

Showcased under the joint slogan Serbia Naturally, Serbian companies will present their products both at the Fine Foods Pavilion and the Frozen Foods Pavilion.

The wide selection of fine Serbian produce that will be showcased at the event include superior quality frozen fruits and vegetables, famous Serbian wild mushrooms, award winning organic fruit juices and preserves as well as confectionary, spices and powdered products.

The export of Serbian food products has experienced exponential growth in the last few years and there are no signs of slowing. The quick adoption and rapid implementation of international standards and the introduction of new value-added products has ensured that Serbia is establishing itself as one of the most trusted exporters from South Eastern Europe. The recent global financial crisis has not deterred Serbian exporters in trying to establish a strong foothold in the international market. Serbian exporters continue to expand their client base fuelled by a consistent international sales and marketing campaign.

Serbia’s exhibit at ANUGA is sponsored by the USAID Agribusiness Project in Serbia and supported by the Serbia Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and by the Serbia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA). 

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested $24 million through its Agribusiness Project which focuses on improving agricultural productivity, expanding value-added agricultural processing, opening new markets for export, and building the capacity of producer organizations and service providers which support Serbia’s agribusiness sector. The USAID Agribusiness Project works with Serbian agricultural producers at all stages of the production cycle “from field to fork” to increase the value of Serbian agricultural products sales and agricultural employment.

On 28 September at the Hotel Hyatt, the prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Mirko Cvetkovic; Minister of Agriculture, Sasa Dragin and USAID Mission Director, Michael Harvey opened a National Conference dedicated to agriculture and agribusiness in Serbia.

This event was organized by AGROPRESS - the national agriculture journalists association and the USAID Agribusiness Project with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.

The objective of this National Conference was to engage all relevant stakeholders in a constructive discussion regarding the agriculture sector most pressing and current issues, provide information regarding the 2010 agricultural policy and facilitate dialog between high ranking Government of Serbia officials and  leading industry representatives.

The event drew over 180 participants of which almost 50 were media.

Michael Harvey, USAID Mission Director in Serbia - "USAID initiated our Agribusiness Project in Serbia because we firmly believe that - as strong as this sector is - there is still significant potential for further growth.  In order to help Serbia to realize this potential, the United States has committed 24 million dollars to this Project to work with partners in selected sectors throughout Serbia to improve agricultural productivity, to expand value-added processing and to find and successfully enter new export markets.  Through this Project, we have been and will continue to carry out activities which complement the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management in preparing Serbia’s agricultural sector for the challenges which lie ahead.  We believe in this partnership and are happy when our assistance can help contribute to further growth and more jobs in the agricultural sector.

Mirko Cvetkovic, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia - "Despite the excellent results generated in 2009, we are aware of the importance of consistent investment in this sector and we will continue to do so in the coming year through subsadies and other models of support, ensuring the future development of the sector. Also, agricultural development is one of the pillars of equitable regional development, representing one of the key focuses of this Government, and as such, we will support all positive initiatives aiming to contribute to the development of this sector....Finally, I would like to express my gratitute to USAID, for their multi-year support to agribusiness in Serbia."

This year's participation and attendance of twenty-two Serbian companies at the World Food Moscow Fair from the 15th to the 18th of September proved to be a major success. Serbian food exporters contracted over $8.5 million worth of sales and they are currently negotiating additional sales of goods worth over $16 million.

With support from USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, first time exhibitors at this year's World Food Fair accounted for more than half of the contracted sales. This opportunity has opened the door for greater success of Serbian agribusiness during the current economic crisis.

Showcased under the joint slogan Serbia Naturally, Serbian companies boasted a large selection of apples, meats and pates, organic jams and preserves, premium wild mushrooms, fresh fruits and vegetables as well as the famous Serbian raspberries, blackberries and wild strawberries and blueberries.

Eleven companies exhibiting their products at this years fair featured in Moscow this year were: Agroprom-Com, Lučić Prigrevica, ZZ Moravac, ITN, Repro Trade, PIK Južni Banat, Strela, Hemel, Neoplanta, Big Bull and LTS Farmer.

The recent global financial crisis has not deterred Serbian exporters in trying to reestablish their strong foothold in the international market and especially the Russian market which has traditionally generated considerable demand for Serbian products. 

The USAID Agribusiness team continuously works to increase Serbia’s agribusiness competitiveness through addressing issues and constraints that inhibit access to international markets. Barriers to entering international markets are consistently tackled through technical assistance addressing issues such as inappropriate packaging or branding, international food safety standards and certificates and through establishing international market linkages between international buyers and Serbian producers.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested $24 million through its Agribusiness Project which focuses on improving agricultural productivity, expanding value-added agricultural processing, opening new markets for export, and building the capacity of producer organizations and service providers which support Serbia’s agribusiness sector. The USAID Agribusiness Project works with Serbian agricultural producers at all stages of the production cycle “from field to fork” to increase the value of Serbian agricultural products sales and agricultural employment.