Serbia: Minister reports strong agricultural yields, higher raspberry prices

Serbia's Minister of Agriculture, Dragan Glamočić, has reported positive trends in the country's agricultural sector, particularly for raspberries and wheat.

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Raspberry growers do not expect the state to set the price, because they know it is formed on the market, but they expect orderly relations and respect for the rules.

Speaking on Radio-Television of Serbia (RTS), Glamočić stated that the ministry's dialogue with raspberry producers has improved, with prices ranging from 400 to 450 dinars per kilogram. He described this as among the higher prices in the region, attributing it to the quality of Serbian raspberries, while acknowledging that global market trends still influence pricing.

The minister also praised the current year's fruit production as one of the best in a decade, with strong yields for apricots, apples, and a 100% increase in sour cherry production compared to last year. Approximately 90% of raspberries are exported, he noted.

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Our raspberry is of higher quality and therefore achieves a higher price, but we cannot completely detach ourselves from market trends in the world.

Regarding wheat, Glamočić described the harvest as strong, with an average yield of about six tons per hectare, despite some challenges in the Banat region. He explained that the price of wheat, currently between 19 and 20 dinars per kilogram, is determined by global markets and major producers like Russia and Ukraine, stating that Serbia cannot directly influence these prices. Producers can store their grain in silos if they anticipate better prices later.

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Wheat, corn, and barley are commodity goods. Their prices are determined by global markets and large producers like Russia, Ukraine, and countries in North and South America. We cannot influence that.

Glamočić also announced continued government support through subsidies for anti-hail nets and the reintroduction of funding for deep well drilling. He pointed to a significant acceleration in subsidy payments, with over 77 billion dinars disbursed by the same date this year, a 58% increase from the previous year.

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At the same date last year, 49 billion dinars had been paid, and this year more than 77 billion. That is an increase of about 58 percent.