Dedić: There is enough food, incentive payments to begin

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Šemsudin Dedić, Minister of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated that the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has sufficient quantities of food, and additional quantities of wheat will be procured for state reserves.

“Sufficient quantities of seeds and planting material, veterinary medicines, and everything needed for autumn sowing are secured.”

Cantonal ministries have been asked to ensure that uncultivated agricultural land can be used, as well as to postpone concession payments for state land and water for at least three months.

“Given that movement and administration operations are currently limited, the deadline for submitting applications has been extended. Payments of incentive funds will begin next week, and I call on the cantons to complete their part of the work as soon as possible,” Dedić said.

He announced that an amendment to the Law on Agricultural Land has already been submitted until 30.06.2021.

Today, the Decision on the Adoption of the Program of Expenditures with Distribution Criteria for Funds “Subsidies to Private Companies and Entrepreneurs – Incentives for Agriculture” established by the Budget of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2020 for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry has been amended and supplemented. This was done after the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina tasked the relevant ministries to urgently undertake activities so that already adopted expenditure programs for transfers are primarily directed towards financing sowing projects, which will serve to maintain and encourage the production of strategic food and non-food products crucial for the health and life of the population, and the recovery and maintenance of productive, logistical, and export-oriented activities.

The amendments and supplements also relate to the deadlines for submitting documentation for productions started before and after October 1st of the previous year, which were completed by the date of entry into force of the Program of Monetary Support for 2020, as well as the prescribed financial limitations for legal entities and natural persons in the production incentive model.

Furthermore, within the rural development model, and in relation to the support for joint agriculture and rural development projects in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this provision has been deleted, and the funds have been transferred to the model of other types of support for the measure Support for various programs for initiating production, encouraging autumn or spring sowing, and similar measures not covered by other models, and land policy measures.

Furthermore, amendments have been made relating to rural development, whereby the amounts for certain measures have been reduced by a total of 9,000,000 KM. These funds have been transferred to other types of support and are primarily intended for various programs for initiating production, encouraging autumn or spring sowing, and similar. The Program amendments have resulted in a reduction of the amount of funds within the Rural Development Model from 17,250,000 KM to 8,250,000 KM, while within the Other Types of Support Model, the planned amount has increased from 1,800,000 KM to 10,800,000 KM.