On Thursday, 11 October the farmers in Kupres were provided with 29 pregnant heifers and considerable amount of farming equipment in order to start their own production business. The equipment was provided within the Project “Combating unemployment through local partnerships” funded by the European Union in the amount of EUR 240,000.
Mijo Vila, one of the farmers whose business was supported through this Project, stressed the importance of the support for the farmers in Kupres, which is a predominantly agricultural and livestock farming area, and which is famous both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond its borders for ‘Kupres chees’ production. He added that, in addition to various activities, the Project also included a training for local farmers which offered them an opportunity to learn more about new diary production technologies.
The Project provided support to twenty farmers from the Kupres area which, in addition to the heifers, also received agricultural and farming equipment such as milking machines, rotary cultivators and trailers for tractor.
Kupres Mayor, Milan Reštegorac, expressed his gratitude and highlighted that such support to the farmers in Kupres was both significant and necessary. Raštegorac continues by saying that this Project secured new jobs and a sustainable income for 30 families in this municipality.
Andrea Vera, Head of Economic Development, Infrastructure and Natural Resources Section at the EU Delegation to BiH stressed that the Project should generate new jobs and improve the living standard of the people in this area. He also explained the reasons why the European Union funds small- and large-scale projects in BiH. “The European Union is the major donor, but also a commercial partner to Bosnia and Herzegovina. EU believes that the prosperity of the countries and citizens in the countries which are not EU members is equally important, not only for these countries but also for the EU. BiH declared its aspiration to become an EU member and we therefore have to learn to work together. This Project is only one among other examples of successful cooperation between the EU and BiH which will help boosting the economy and job creation in BiH,” Vera said.
The EU Project “Combating unemployment through local partnership” has been implemented since 2016, and it has so far provided support to around 30 unemployed persons in the Kupres area. About 20 families received an incentive for livestock farming, while a total of 30 persons attended a training to acquire new skills, and 10 persons will have an opportunity to get a new job.
Both the municipal authorities and beneficiaries of the support share the opinion that a municipality with more than 35 hectares of agricultural land and pastures, and with a focus on promoting food industry and meat and dairy processing in its development plans, welcomes any assistance.
