A project to support the development of agriculture was presented in Livno, for which funds will be provided from neighboring Croatia. These are investments aimed at rural areas with a total value of 12 million euros. There are many interested parties, and the public call is open until June 5.
Millions for rural development
Millions of euros arriving from Croatia are intended to help rural areas inhabited by members of the Croatian nation. The goal of the project is to encourage technological progress and energy resilience of agricultural producers.
The large town hall in Livno was too small to accommodate all the farmers who arrived from the five cantons of the Federation.
The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the Government of the Republic of Croatia, David Vlajčić, stated that this is a multi-year support program.
“We are talking about 12 million euros for three years, that is, four million euros per year, with a maximum amount of support of up to 100,000 euros. I expect cooperation from all leaders and officials within Bosnia and Herzegovina when it comes to communication with people,” said Vlajčić.
Focus on competitiveness
The mayor of Livna, Darko Čondrić (HDZBiH), expressed the expectation that farmers will prepare quality projects and fulfill the necessary conditions.
“I believe that our farmers from all areas of agriculture will prepare good projects, apply, meet the conditions and obtain funds that will surely contribute to their business and increase competitiveness,” said Čondrić.
Mate Omazić, a member of the Farmers’ Association of Canton 10, pointed out that domestic producers have a difficult position compared to farmers from the European Union.
“We in Bosnia and Herzegovina chronically lack the component of competitiveness. We do not have access to European Union development funds like our fellow farmers on the other side of the border, and we all operate together on the same market, which is why it is very difficult for us,” said Omazić.
Support to farmers
Mladen Plavčić from Busovača has been actively engaged in agriculture since 2015 and hopes that his two sons will continue the family business.
“I keep breeding sows and sheep. I already received one grant from the Republic of Croatia, through the Department of Spatial Planning, thanks to which I bought a tractor to make production easier for myself. I will apply again, this time for the purchase of attachments for the tractor,” said Plavčić.
Wide range of support
The public call was placed widely so that all those interested could be found in one of the development lines, whether it is agriculture, animal husbandry, fruit and vegetable production or processing, technological progress and energy resistance.
