What does the future of farming in the Western Balkans look like? The LAN Belgrade team went looking for answers at three recent events. We visited a regenerative farm near Subotica that works with Dutch machinery, joined an animal science symposium in Novi Sad, and took part in a business dialogue in Nieuwegein on the region's growing opportunities for Dutch agri-food companies.
Beeld: LAN BEL
Sixth regenerative agriculture field day brings farmers to the Sudarević family farm near Subotica
Last Thursday, LAN Belgrade team joined roughly 80 participants at the sixth Regenerative Agriculture Field Day, held on the Sudarević family farm in northern Serbia. The event was organised by the Balkan Eco-Innovations Association (ABE), with financial support from the European Climate Foundation, on behalf of Serbia's Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture and the Sudarević farm itself.
The crowd reflected just how broad the interest in regenerative practices has become: more than half of those present were arable farmers, joined by other regenerative producers, agronomists, advisors and researchers, students and secondary-school pupils interested in soil conservation, aggregators and buyers of arable crops, and representatives of insurance companies.
Host Ivan Sudarević walked participants through how his family farm applies a regenerative approach across the maize, alfalfa, oilseed rape, wheat and barley it grows. He spoke candidly about his own path from conventional to regenerative farming, the biggest challenges he faced during the transition, and what he now sees as the clearest benefits, particularly in light of the climate pressures the region has faced this summer. Ivan also demonstrated the direct-seeding machine (delivered by the Dutch APH Group) he uses in the field, and the group examined a soil profile on one of the plots.
For our team, the value of the day was in seeing regenerative agriculture applied at field scale rather than described in a report: walking the plots, hearing a farmer speak directly about what worked and what didn't, and getting a hands-on look at the machinery and soil work behind the results. It's a useful reminder that the shift toward more resilient farming in this part of Serbia is, at its core, still a very practical, farmer-to-farmer process.
Beeld: LAN BEL
ISAS 2026: Novi Sad hosted international symposium on animal science
The Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Novi Sad recently hosted the International Symposium on Animal Science (ISAS 2026). The symposium was organised by the Faculty's Department of Animal Science and brought together researchers, lecturers, industry representatives, farmers and students from Serbia and abroad.
ISAS is a long-standing platform for presenting new research and innovation in livestock production. This year's programme covered the latest scientific results as well as the practical challenges and development opportunities facing the livestock sector in Serbia and internationally.
The programme brought together speakers from Serbia and abroad, with keynote lectures on sustainable livestock production and animal health. Panel discussions focused on practical challenges for the sector, including the role of fisheries in Serbia, livestock farming as a driver of rural tourism, the impact of African swine fever (ASF) on pig farming and hunting, and the future of agribusiness in the region.
The LAN team from Belgrade attended the symposium. It proved a good opportunity to follow current developments in Serbian animal science and to connect with researchers and industry.
Beeld: LAN BEL
Balkan Business Dialogue 2026: Western Balkans on the radar of Dutch agri-food companies
Looking for growth markets close to home? The Western Balkans deserve a place on your radar. That was the message of the agriculture session at the Balkan Business Dialogue 2026 at the Green Village in Nieuwegein. There, Dutch entrepreneurs, government representatives and the Dutch Embassies in the region explored opportunities for Dutch agri-food businesses.
The break-out session on Agriculture was led by Mila Mirkovic, Agricultural Advisor of the LAN Belgrade Team at the Netherlands Embassy in Belgrade. She described the region's agri-food sector as one in transition, with plenty of room for Dutch knowledge, technology and investment. The team's work there focuses on EU integration, sustainable agriculture, covered production and innovation. Her key message was practical: make use of your Embassies. The LAN Belgrade Team follows market and policy developments in all Western Balkan countries and can advise companies, open doors, provide the right contacts and help with market access issues.
The economic advisors of the Dutch Embassies in the region also took part: Ivan Iliev (North Macedonia and Kosovo), Aida Lahi (Albania) and Leila Fetahagic (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Next to the speakers that highlighted their observations on developments in protected cultivation and in regenerative agriculture, Aida Lahi explained that EU accession is already reshaping the market. As rules on food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary controls and certification align with EU standards, demand is growing for technology, services, testing and know-how, long before membership. Dutch strengths fit well here: seeds and planting material, greenhouse horticulture, water efficiency, agritech and digitalisation. Her advice was to enter locally but think regionally.
A concrete opportunity is already on the horizon. In November, Tirana will host a dedicate regional working-conference on plant variety protection and DUS testing capacity. It will bring together Dutch expertise, Naktuinbouw, the CPVO and involved authorities from across the region. For breeders and seed companies this is an important step in the shaping of a system that protects their innovations in a growing market.
More information
If you would like to know more about Serbia’s agri-food sector and opportunities in areas such as post-harvest handling, cold-chain development, and sustainable production, you can go to the country page of Serbia at this website. You can also send an e-mail to the LAN team at the Dutch Embassy in Belgrade: bel-lvvn@minbuza.nl