At its thirty-seventh session, held on 11 November, the Agriculture Committee discussed the Bill on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2006 – Schedule 10, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. The session was held without a decision-making quorum, and attended by officials of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.
The session heard that more funding had been secured for agriculture in 2006, thanks to a budget surplus carried over from last year, while the planned reduction in subsidies will not apply to agriculture. Farmers’ pensions are to match minimum pensions in the Republic of Serbia.
The Bill on the Budget foresees funding for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management to offer loans to farmers, invest in improvements in production and sale of agricultural produce, improve soil quality and create new fruit plantations and vineyards, as well as undertake other activities aimed at fostering agricultural development. Separate funding is to be provided for the Plant Protection Directorate and the Veterinary Medicine Directorate, officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management said.