THE DAY OF FRUIT AND WINE GROWERS WAS MARKED AT THE PAVILION OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT COOPERATION BETWEEN THE NETHERLANDS AND SERBIA IS IMPORTANT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS

The seventh Day of Fruit and Wine Growers, organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Republic of Serbia, was officially marked yesterday at the Pavilion of the AP Vojvodina by the Prime Minister of the Provincial Government Maja Gojković, Deputy Prime Minister of the Provincial Government and Secretary for Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry Vladimir Galić, Attaché for Agriculture of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Serbia Michel van Erkel, as well as the Director of the Novi Sad Fair Slobodan Cvetković and the Secretary of the Association of Agriculture of the Chamber of Commerce Mladen Petković of Vojvodina.

The Prime Minister of the Provincial Government, Maja Gojkovic, pointed out that the Day of Fruit Growers and Winegrowers brought together experts who contribute to the development of agriculture and the rural environment with their work, effort and experience, and that the gathering was the result of talks between representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and the Secretariat of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry of the Provincial Government with the delegation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which was held at the 93rd International Agricultural Fair.
– In this way, space has been opened for concrete cooperation and connection of our companies and manufacturers with the Dutch ones. The Netherlands is one of the leaders in the field of modern and high-tech agriculture and its experience in the application of these innovations is of great benefit to all our producers, both in Vojvodina and throughout our country – said Maja Gojković and emphasized that Serbia already has everything it needs: quality land, tradition and hardworking people who are eager to progress in the field of agriculture.
She pointed out that fruit growing and viticulture are the greatest development opportunity of Vojvodina. The Provincial Secretariat for Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry continuously implements support measures through competitions and incentive measures, related to the establishment of new plantations, the procurement of modern equipment and mechanization, as well as irrigation and hail protection systems and the strengthening of production capacities and quality.
– In recent years, there has been an increasing progress in winemaking, there are more and more modern wineries in Fruška Gora and producers who invest in quality. Our wines are winning awards at international competitions and are already recognizable on foreign markets, both in Europe and in Asia, which is no longer far away – said the President of the Provincial Government and said that in addition to financial support, the Province is working on connecting producers with domestic and foreign partners, such as the Netherlands, and all with the goal of making domestic producers as competitive as possible and ready for the challenges of the modern market.

The Attaché for Agriculture of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Serbia, Michel van Erkel, said that the Netherlands sees great potential for Serbia in horticulture and fruit production in a protected area.
– During the fair, we were convinced that producers from Serbia who are supported by IPARD funds are doing a great job and we want to support Vojvodina and Serbia in the production of safe and healthy food, all in the midst of climate change that has become our reality.
The President of the Provincial Government emphasized that the whole world is going through major climate change, and that markets are becoming more and more demanding and that the need for sustainable practices is increasing.
"Cooperation with the Netherlands can provide us with the necessary knowledge on the use of new technologies with which we can face the challenges of climate change," said Maja Gojković. – It is also important that the Province continues to support young producers and family farms, because without them there is no progress in agriculture. Our goal is to create conditions in which young people will be encouraged to engage in agricultural production and stay in the villages.
Gojkovic especially thanked all the producers who preserve and develop agriculture, preserve its quality and reputation in Vojvodina, especially in the fruit and viticulture sector.