May 12^th

The Minister without portfolio in the Government of Serbia Milan Krkobabic said at a meeting at City Hall with representatives of the City of Nis, of the surrounding municipalities and cooperatives that Serbian villages should not remain empty, and that the Government of Serbia, at the proposal of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, adopted the decision on the establishment of new and revitalisation of existing agriculture cooperatives. Minister Krkobabic said that the existing and newly established cooperatives would get 12.5 and 6.2 million dinars. He explained that the money could be used for planting, enlarging the flock, and the purchase of machinery; however it could not be used to cover the financial debts. The aim for the next three years, starting from this one, to form 500 cooperatives in 500 large villages which will enable fruit growers, truck farmers, livestock breeders, easier access to markets.

According to Deputy Mayor Milos Bandjur Serbian government defined the program and the public call was to come next and the local government would provide all necessary support for strengthening the cooperatives in this part of our country. The goal, as it was said at the meeting that brought together a large number of people, to revive the Serbian village and to keep young people in the countryside to live and work.

September 2^nd

At Nis City Hall the reception was organized for farmers who received incentive funds from the city budget this year. 155 farmers received a total of 25 million dinars for the improvement of agricultural production. A quarter of the budget went to beekeepers. Thus this year’s competition under the program for allocation of incentive funds of the Agriculture and Rural Development Administration of the City of Nis was successfully completed. Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic personally handed over contracts to farmers. In the previous year, the City of Nis, through the Administration for Agriculture and Rural Development and within the framework of the implementation of the Fruit Development Program, placed the biggest emphasis on this branch of agriculture – fruit growing, while this year the Administration paid special attention to the development of beekeeping.