Flooding hits Serbian growers

Recent flooding of Serbian rivers could have devastating impact on the agriculture sector. Latest information from the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture indicates that about 240,000 hectares of farmland in Serbia have been impacted, with 112,000 hectares completely flooded. If floodwater remains in fields till the first week of May it could prevent farmers from planting seeds for the new spring crops (corn, sunflowers and soybeans) and could seriously endanger this year production of wheat, barley and vegetables. At the present time, the government has no funds in the budget to compensate affected farmers. Last year the Serbian government established a new insurance support program that provided 30 percent of farmers crop insurance's costs.