The Federal Minister of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry, Semsudin Dedić, visited several business entities in the Herzegovina-Neretva and West Herzegovina Cantons, whose projects were supported by this ministry in the past year. It is a project to increase the competitiveness of rural production and reduce poverty, which is being implemented by the Federal Ministry.

In Ljubuški and Blagaj, the construction of cold stores and storage capacities, as well as irrigation systems, was co-financed. In addition, the procurement of 76 greenhouses and start packages for 48 agricultural producers in the area of ​​Ljubuški was supported.

Minister Dedić met with the Mayor of Ljubuški, Vedran Markotić, and representatives of the FBiH Peasants’ Union.

– A large number of realized projects and investments in the construction of cold stores and storage capacities, solving the issue of irrigation of agricultural land, procurement of hail protection and sorting plants, as well as integration of small farmers into value chains, are good preconditions for greater competitiveness of agricultural producers. I call on local communities to use the possibilities of the new Agricultural Development Project and rural companies, so that agricultural producers can generate higher incomes and have better living conditions in rural areas – said Minister Dedić.

Mayor Markotić pointed out that he was satisfied with the supported projects and support from the federal level to agricultural producers.

– Today we talked about future joint activities with the aim of creating better conditions for agriculture in our municipality – said Markotić.

Director of the Coordination Unit for these projects at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry, Halil Omanović, is also satisfied with the results of the IFAD project.

– With the support for increasing the competitiveness of rural production, projects worth 20.1 million KM were realized, of which the share of Project funds is 39 percent, farmers 58.5 percent and municipalities / leaders 2.5 percent. Support was provided for 8,578 farmers and 1134.2 hectares of land were cultivated – said Omanović.

At today’s session of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, consent was given to the agreement on financing the Project of Agricultural Development and Rural Enterprises, so that the beginning of its realization is expected in the second half of this year. This project opens up opportunities for new rural businesses by better connecting and integrating farms, organizing and integrating small farmers into value chains and connecting them to commercial markets.