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Organic development in Serbia is export driven. Organic agriculture
was initiated in 1990 by the Association Terras in the municipality of
Subotica. When the economic sanctions ended in 2000, investors, buyers,
and donors came to Serbia with projects, organization and export market
possibilities. In 2006 the Ministry of Agriculture announced an organic
law, but standards are not yet finalized and EU certifiers are still
certifying organic operators in Serbia. In 2004, the government
introduced subsidies to cover about half of the certification costs and
for cooperation and some educational activities. Development of the
sector is government driven, without much consultation with the sector.
All parts of the organic chain are present but the sector is
unorganized, with lack of coordination and cooperation among projects,
activities, and stakeholders. The main actors are donors and companies
that do not have an interest in organizing the sector. The most
important organic products are wild or cultivated fruit and berries
exported as frozen or processed, and frozen, salted and dried wild
mushrooms. Most production is concentrated around the cooling plants.
72 operators on 2,411 ha, 0.14% of the arable land, were certified in
2006, and 2,155 ha is under conversion; the potential for further
expansion is great. Certified land area for wild production (berries,
mushrooms, and herbs) is approximately 450,000 ha, which represents 12%
of total non agriculture land.
Agricultural conditions
Serbia’s
climate offers favorable conditions for mechanized field crop farming
and vegetable production. Farmland constitutes 70% of the total area of
Serbia. The major crops are wheat, barley, maize, sugar beets,
sunflowers, soybeans, tobacco, potatoes, grapes, berries, apples, and
plums, and the hilly parts are attractive for sheep and cattle
production. Approximately 44% of the population lives in rural areas
and 17.3% of the total population is engaged in agricultural
production. Primary production and processing together account for 25%
of the GDP, which makes agriculture the largest sector of the economy.
Primary agricultural products account for 16-17% of total exports.
The
transformation of the agrarian economy in Serbia is characterized by a
marked decrease in participation in the social/state sector, stagnation
of the cooperative sector, and a dynamic increase in the private
sector. Near the big industrial centers, agriculture is well developed
with specialized production, while over 75% of the private farms are
fragmented, non-market farms with mixed production on less than 5 ha.
The average age of the farmers is increasing, the level of farmers’
agriculture knowledge is low, and farms usually have incomplete
mechanization.
Status of Organic Agriculture
There
are no official data on organic production in Serbia, but an estimate
by certification organizations reported 72 certified operators in 2006.
Around 14 of them are working with wild products. Organically certified
land is approximately 2,411 ha, 0.14% of arable land, and 2,155 ha is
under conversion. Certified land area for wild production (berries,
mushrooms and herbs) is approximately 450,000 ha, which represents 12%
of total non-agricultural land. However, the figures are unreliable
since different certification organizations are certifying the same
regions and operators for the same or different products.
The
most important organic products in Serbia are wild and cultivated
fruits and berries. Exports consists primarily of frozen berries
(raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries) and smaller
amounts of frozen and dried plums and sour cherries, organic certified
jams, sweets, apple concentrate, vinegar, and juices. The main regions
for organic fruit production are Central and South Serbia, where the
most important organic certified cooling plants are located. The
cooling plants gather farmers into grower groups, between 15 and 600
farmers per group. A few companies deal with wild and cultivated dried
medicinal and aromatic herbs for export. The collection of certified
organic wild mushrooms also is well developed, primarily in the
southwestern parts of Serbia. Frozen, salted, and dried wild mushrooms
are major export products. Donors and investors are very interested in
further development of organic fruit production in Central Serbia.
In
the region of intensive agriculture, organic cereals like wheat, maize,
barley, and oats, as well as pumpkins, oil beets and sunflowers are
well developed. The main organic products are flour, dried pumpkin
seeds for human consumption, oils, and creams. Several big companies
and farms have contracted for export. These crops are produced on units
of 100 to 300 ha, which is big for Serbian conditions, and the
operators have individual certificates. Certified organic vegetable
production is relatively small. Fresh, frozen, and preserved vegetables
as well as ground red peppers are mainly exported, but some fresh
vegetables are placed on the domestic market as well. There are no
examples of organic certified livestock production. The operators
mainly are individually certified but there are also a few examples of
grower group certification.
The conclusion is that the
possibilities for further development of organic production are great,
and it can be expected that organic production will increase in the
future.
Early Development of Organic in Serbia Early Market Development for Organic in Serbia
Regulatory Framework for Organic in Serbia
Organization, Support, and Lessons Learned in Serbia
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