IPARD is rolling in Serbia!

IPARD (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance in Rural Development) is a financial tool for EU-candidate countries, like Serbia to help the implementation of EU regulations and adaptation their agriculture to CAP.

The fifth call for proposals was announced by Serbian Ministry for Agriculture, inviting farmers to apply for the EU grant scheme. The latest call invites registered farmers and SMEs operating in milk, meat, fruit and vegetable sectors to apply for investments in processing facilities. Around 175 million EUR from the EU pre-accession funds for rural development are on disposal to Serbian farmers by 2020. Farmers who applied last year (the first call) received refunds for approved projects. So far, the calls were announced for agriculture mechanization; investments in physical assets on the farms; investments in primary agriculture production and the latest one is covering investments in processing facilities.

The Agriculture Department of the Embassy in Serbia is in complete alignment with priority sectors selected by Serbian Agro Ministry. Embassy’s activities are focused on presenting and promoting the Dutch knowledge and technologies to Serbian farmers – from planting material to hard machinery.

According to estimates of Serbian exports, the number of requests for IPARD funds will be increasing in the coming years since farmers are slowly overcoming their fears and prejudice against very demanding procedure for obtaining those EU funds.

For additional information please contact the Embassy: BEL-LNV@minbuza.nl