Genetically modified food is about to become a reality not only in Serbia, but within the European Union as well, despite negative reactions among experts and ordinary people. The world population grows with such speed that the acute problem of food deficiency couldn`t be solved only by increment of crop fields, especially in situations when facing with floods caused by global warming and with the fact that cultivated areas are decreasing more each year.

About 45 percent of EU`s budget is invested in agriculture, and it`s no wonder that the European Union is often considered as an "agrarian community". Closer look to this fact proves that this economy branch is the most important for Serbia as well. Since it is the sector which acquires the budget surplus, for the past few decades it is the only economic branch Serbia could relies on. Serbia has managed to export agricultural products worth two billion dollars, and has spent 1.3 billion dollars for the agricultural imports. Even under the global recession, the 700 million dollars of profit is for 100 million more than a year before.

By Nenad Radicevic

After joining the European Union, Serbia can expect a billion euros per year for its agriculture, said Vice Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic. This aim could be too optimistic having in mind that Serbia has a lot of small farmers with modest farm income, while Poland, which is several times bigger country, got almost two billion euros this year, on its way to double average farm revenue from 2004 to 2009. However, the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is one of the most questionable EU common policies. Problematic aspects of the CAP, such as a lack of transparency and poor usability of information related to beneficiaries of EU funding, are recently underlined by the research of an independent think-tank.

By Jelena Milicevic

Serbia and its farmers never miss an opportunity to boast about "our plum." At the same time, they are forgetting the fact France is the most famous after this fruit production owing to its large quantities. Although in relation to its area Serbia has the greatest number of plum trees comparing to other European countries, the yield is not even near in compliance with the number of trees and European per tree average yield. According to experts, the reason for this is the trees being old and renewed by nobody; there is no correct pruning and instead of handpicking at least a part of the plum trees, farmers just knock the plums down from the trees. Similar situation is in the other fruits production and therefore lacking distinctive strategy in fruit growing in Serbia is characterised by small yields and dissatisfied farmers.

By Jelena Milicevic

Recent problem in the dairy industry has been sold - the State has reacted and made an agreement with the Commodity Reserves Directorate that should buy out 300 tones of powder milk stored in local diaries. That way has been prevented announced cancellation of purchase from the primary producers who had been in the position to either spill the milk or send the best quality heads to the slaughterhouse. Although the State has reacted the same way the European Commission did a couple of months ago and that way solved the problem for the short period, milk producers agrarian policy of Serbia and the European Union cannot be compared. Maybe the best illustration is the fact that not one milk producer in Serbia exports his products to the EU while even 60 percent of the milk produced does not meet the EU standards.

By Jelena Milicevic

Food industries, dairy farms, butcheries, meat-processing industries and distribution centres of meat and milk products in Serbia are about to apply Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) standards, which guarantee the safety and quality of food products. But even though HACCP was praised during mid 1970s as the only valid system for food safety testing, and although the World Health Organisation recognised it as the most efficient instrument in identifying potential food safety hazards, small food producers still consider it to be an additional expense, instead as a chance for food exportation to the European Union.