Serbia and Denmark signed 10 million euros worth of agreement on cooperation in fruit production

Serbia and Denmark signed an agreement worth 10 million euros today (June 30, 2010) in Belgrade on cooperation in the field of agriculture that will encourage the development of fruit production in the Jablanica, Nisava, Pcinj and Toplica Districts.

- Denmark will provide 5.4 million euros for the programme, while the rest will be financed by the Ministry of Agriculture - said Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Sasa Dragin who signed the agreement with Danish Ambassador to Serbia Mette Kjuel Nielsen.

Dragin said that the programme would last for four years and that he expected the programme to benefit minimum 50% of female population engaged in fruit production in southern Serbia.

- As a final result, we expect export of fruit products to grow by 10%, while productivity should be increased by over 5% - he said and added that the project was in accordance with both the 2009-2011 Agriculture Development Programme and the Agricultural Strategy that was being prepared for the period of next 10 years.

Kjuel Nielsen specified that the agreement between Serbia and Denmark should become operational in autumn this year.

She outlined that the goal of the programme was to create new jobs and improve fruit growing revenues, as well as to promote knowledge and application of European standards in the field of fruit growing, which would increase the value of products and their exports.

The programme was made in association with experts from Serbia and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede Republike Srbije

Ambasada Kraljevine Danske Beograd

USAID Srbija

Ministry of Agriculture

Danish Embassy to Belgrade

Saša Dragin

Mete Kjuel Nilsen

US Agency for International Development

USAID

Jablanica District

Nisava District

Pcinj District

Toplica District