At its thirtieth session, the Agriculture Committee discussed the report of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management on the harvest.

Ministry officials presented the report and answered questions posed by Committee members. The Committee resolved to request that the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management find a way to subsidise and store crops of the 2005 harvest and adopt a Government Decree on the procedure and manner of storing such crops. The Committee’s conclusions request favourable loans to be granted for wheat buy-outs, and for the obligation to be imposed on buyers to pay farmers for the wheat within three months. The Committee is to ask the Government and the Ministry of Finance to provide for costs of a wheat surplus in the planned budget reserves, and also to request the Supply Reserves Directorate to provide information on debtors.

The session also discussed the report of the Ministry of Mining and Energy on the lack of diesel fuel and the stabilisation of the market in oil derivatives. Officials of NIS Jugopetrol and NIS Naftagas Promet took part in the session.

The Committee resolved to inform the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Trade and Tourism and the Ministry of Mining and Energy that it had discussed the lack of diesel fuel and the stabilisation of the market in oil derivatives, and to request that adequate quantities of oil and oil products are secured for farmers during the harvest campaign. In case of any scarcities, the Committee will initiate the procedure for finding those responsible. The conclusions further state that it is necessary to regularly supply the market and stockpile strategic reserves.

The Committee resolved to ask the Ministry of Capital Investments to consider the possibility of subsidising motorway tolls for registered farmers when transporting their produce to major trade centres, as this would reduce cost of such produce to end users.