At the sitting held on 3 March, the Agriculture Committee debated the 2011 Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Subsidy Fund Allocation and Use Programme.

This year’s Fund Allocation Programme was presented by Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Milan Stegic. He said that the agrarian budget funds would be used to finance activities aimed at reaching the agrarian policy and rural development policy goals as defined in the Agriculture Development Strategy, Law on Agriculture and Rural Development and 2011 – 2013 National Agriculture Development Programme. Among these goals he listed establishing a sustainable and efficient agricultural sector and increasing its export competitiveness, securing food to satisfy consumer quality and safety requirements, supporting agricultural households, environmental protection and rural development.

Debating the Fund Allocation Programme, the Committee members complained at the fact that the Ministry failed to present the document for debate earlier, before it was adopted by the Government in January.

The Committee members asked the Ministry representatives several questions primarily pointing out the need to restore the previous system of direct stimuli for agricultural production and subsidies for fuel, fertiliser and seeds. This is all the more important because Serbia has more than 220 000 small and medium agricultural producers in need of assistance and faster access to subsidies.

They also suggested that the payment of milk subsidies should depend not only on quantity, but quality of milk as well. That will be facilitated by the introduction of the milk quality control laboratory which should begin work next year.

They also discussed the now considerable outstanding debts to agricultural producers and how they can be settled.

In addition, the Committee considered the Information on the implementation of article 3 of the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance relating to farmers’ insurance. Following a debate, the Committee requested the opinion of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy on the enforcement of said provisions of the Law, as well as the opinion of the Ministry of Agriculture regarding the farmers’ exercising their rights on these grounds.

The Committee also considered some other issues and proposals within its purview.

The sitting was chaired by Prof. Dr Zoran Masic, Committee Chairman.