The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry FBiH, Jerko Ivanković Lijanović, signed the Declaration “Dunav Soja”, which was proposed by Austria, in Berlin at the “Green Week” fair.
The signatories to the Declaration are countries located in the Danube region, among which are Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, BiH and Serbia.
The goal of the Declaration is, as a result of increased demand, to increase production of organic soy in Europe, and the wish is that the level of soybean production increases from its current three percent arable land in the European Union.
It is planned that 1.8 million hectares of land will be sown in all countries in the Danube region, which would reduce the dependence of European manufacturers on fodder imports, since currently the EU imports around 95 percent of soybeans.
For the realization of this goal, BIH, and other signatories countries, can use EU funds.
It is also planned that the manufacture of organic soybeans does not destroy agro-culture, but rather that new areas be found. Here is where BiH is in the forefront, in contrast to other countries that are signatories to the Declaration, because BiH has plenty of unused agricultural land.
“The northern part of BiH, that is, the FBiH, is suitable for growing organic soybeans, so we will try to encourage local farmers to begin to grow soybeans, because finding markets for it in the EU will not be a problem”, said Minister Ivankovic Lijanović.
With the signing of the Declaration, the Association “Dunav Soja” will have political support to receive funding from various sources for education and research in the field of breeding, plant protection, processing and marketing.
The project will allow interested producers to be found, selection of the best varieties and types of breeding that would produce good results.
Minister Ivankovic Lijanović met with the Austrian Minister of Agriculture Nikolas Berlakovich, who promised to help BiH in the transfer of experiences, which will be beneficial to BiH.
