The Days of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry conference opened in Osijek on Friday, with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković saying at the opening ceremony that agriculture was high on the government's list of priorities because the country's food security and economy depended on it.
In the past three years the farming sector has gone through a difficult period but nevertheless the value of agricultural production has grown, which shows that the sector is resilient, Plenković said.
The latest estimates show the value of agricultural production in the period until the end of 2023 will be a record high €3.3 billion, which is 50% more than in 2016, he said, recalling that the EU financial framework for agriculture for the period until 2027 envisaged €3.8 billion, which, he said, was a strong lever of development of farm production, investments in rural areas and preservation of Croatian rural traditions.
The share of national financing has been increased as well, from 15% to 20%, and the financial envelope for agriculture has been increased by €103 million, he said.
So far a total of 2.9 billion euros has been contracted under the Rural Development Programme, which is 92% of the total amount, and 2.6 billion has been paid out, he said, noting that the amount would help keep more than 26,000 jobs and create 6,000 new ones.
The prime minister said that as the youngest EU member Croatia was recognised for the quality of its farm products and a large number of protected products, with 46 designations of protected origin, which puts it in seventh place in the EU.
Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković said that the situation in the agricultural sector was better than one thought. In 2017 the value of agricultural production was slightly above €2.2 billion and at the end of 2022 it was 3.2 billion, she said, adding that she did not believe figures for 2023 would be below that amount.
The number of young farmers has increased in recent years and their educational structure has improved, she said.
Speaking of the Rural Development Programme, worth more than €3.2 billion, Vučković said that to date 97% of the funding had been contracted and more than 86% paid out. She added that this proved that farmers were not giving up on production despite crises and disruptions.
The minister today also awarded contracts under the Rural Development Programme, worth more than €3.5 million.
The Osijek conference will include panel discussions on challenges in livestock farming, with emphasis on the African Swine Fever, results and goals in the implementation of EU funds in fisheries and aquaculture, and the establishment of a food bank in Croatia.
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