National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia / Activities / Activity details
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Fifth Sitting of the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Committee
At the sitting held on 10 June, the members of the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Committee reviewed the reports of the relevant authorities on the situation in agriculture and water management after the natural disaster in the Republic of Serbia.
The Committee members reviewed the reports submitted by:
- on the behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, State Secretary Prof. Dr Zoran Rajic, representative of the Agricultural Land Directorate Dragana Gojevac Obradovic and Veterinary Directorate Director Dejan Bugarski;
- on the behalf of the Republic Directorate for Water, acting director Miodrag Pejscic;
- on the behalf of the Directorate for Commodity Reserves, Director Goran Tasic.
The Director of the Veterinary Directorate, Dejan Bugarski informed the Committee members that the removal of animal carcasses from the flood-affected areas has been brought to an end, disinfection has been completed and animal product food processing facilities have been rehabilitated. It is the Veterinary Directorate’s opinion that there is no threat of any spread of disease transmitted by dead animals.
On the behalf of the Agricultural Land Directorate, Dragana Gojevac Obradovic informed the Committee members about the expert inspection conducted on the endangered agricultural land. The inspection is conducted in segments, and after the results have been collated, agricultural producers will be forwarded appropriate recommendations. Gojevac Obradovic also stressed the need for an urgent land consolidation and revitalisation of the local roads destroyed by flooding.
Republic Directorate for Water acting director Miodrag Pejscic pointed out that embankments and dams destroyed by the floods need to be urgently repaired which, the Republic Directorate for Water estimates, would cost some 20 million EUR. After the unprecedented floods the embankments are in an extremely poor condition, so much so that they could overflow all over again in heavy rain. He agreed with the Committee members that the best domestic and world experts should be recruited for the embankment reparation and construction project.
Directorate for Commodity Reserves Director Goran Tasic noted that all the goods currently in the commodity reserves are at the disposal of the relevant ministries. The Directorate itself does not allocate the funds directly, the Emergency Situation Sector does that with the prior consent of the relevant ministries.
State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Prof. Dr Zoran Rajic informed the Committee members that assistance to the agricultural producers from the endangered areas would be provided in two stages. Stage one would be the delivery of corn, soy and sunflower seed for sowing and the delivery of fuel. Stage two covers damage reimbursement for livestock farmers.
The Committee members shared their suggestions as regards the reports and by a majority vote adopted conclusions to be forwarded to the Government of the Republic of Serbia.
As future activities the Committee members proposed holding Committee sitting outside of the headquarters, in Jagodina and Ivanjica, organising a public hearing titled “Let’s employ Serbia together” and working on the amendments and modifications to the Animal Welfare Law.
The guests of the fifth sitting of the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Committee, representative of the Union of Agricultural Producers of Sremska Mitrovica Zlatan Djuric, representative of the Farmers’ Association Miroslav Kis and the President of the Federation of Agrarian Associations of Vojvodina Miklos Nadj briefed the Committee members directly on the problems in the field.
The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Marijan Risticevic.
- on the behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, State Secretary Prof. Dr Zoran Rajic, representative of the Agricultural Land Directorate Dragana Gojevac Obradovic and Veterinary Directorate Director Dejan Bugarski;
- on the behalf of the Republic Directorate for Water, acting director Miodrag Pejscic;
- on the behalf of the Directorate for Commodity Reserves, Director Goran Tasic.
The Director of the Veterinary Directorate, Dejan Bugarski informed the Committee members that the removal of animal carcasses from the flood-affected areas has been brought to an end, disinfection has been completed and animal product food processing facilities have been rehabilitated. It is the Veterinary Directorate’s opinion that there is no threat of any spread of disease transmitted by dead animals.
On the behalf of the Agricultural Land Directorate, Dragana Gojevac Obradovic informed the Committee members about the expert inspection conducted on the endangered agricultural land. The inspection is conducted in segments, and after the results have been collated, agricultural producers will be forwarded appropriate recommendations. Gojevac Obradovic also stressed the need for an urgent land consolidation and revitalisation of the local roads destroyed by flooding.
Republic Directorate for Water acting director Miodrag Pejscic pointed out that embankments and dams destroyed by the floods need to be urgently repaired which, the Republic Directorate for Water estimates, would cost some 20 million EUR. After the unprecedented floods the embankments are in an extremely poor condition, so much so that they could overflow all over again in heavy rain. He agreed with the Committee members that the best domestic and world experts should be recruited for the embankment reparation and construction project.
Directorate for Commodity Reserves Director Goran Tasic noted that all the goods currently in the commodity reserves are at the disposal of the relevant ministries. The Directorate itself does not allocate the funds directly, the Emergency Situation Sector does that with the prior consent of the relevant ministries.
State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Prof. Dr Zoran Rajic informed the Committee members that assistance to the agricultural producers from the endangered areas would be provided in two stages. Stage one would be the delivery of corn, soy and sunflower seed for sowing and the delivery of fuel. Stage two covers damage reimbursement for livestock farmers.
The Committee members shared their suggestions as regards the reports and by a majority vote adopted conclusions to be forwarded to the Government of the Republic of Serbia.
As future activities the Committee members proposed holding Committee sitting outside of the headquarters, in Jagodina and Ivanjica, organising a public hearing titled “Let’s employ Serbia together” and working on the amendments and modifications to the Animal Welfare Law.
The guests of the fifth sitting of the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Committee, representative of the Union of Agricultural Producers of Sremska Mitrovica Zlatan Djuric, representative of the Farmers’ Association Miroslav Kis and the President of the Federation of Agrarian Associations of Vojvodina Miklos Nadj briefed the Committee members directly on the problems in the field.
The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Marijan Risticevic.