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FAO’s assistance to flood-affected farming families includes the provision of crop seeds, fruit tree seedlings, rattan, fertilizers, livestock and animal feed, farm equipment and beehives, as well as the construction of greenhouses and the organization of workshops on agricultural disaster risk reduction and climate change.
“The EU contribution means a lot to all farmers in the region, no matter what kind of support and assistance they receive,” said beneficiary Jovan Petrović.
FAO procured and delivered fruit tree saplings and canes to around 2,000 farms in 30 municipalities across Serbia during the autumn and winter of 2014 and 2015. More than 2 million plum, cherry, sour cherry, raspberry and blackberry saplings and canes were planted in selected farmers’ orchards across the country, with a total value of €1.2 million.
The Petrovic family – one of many beneficiaries
FAO has provided a total of more than 450,000 certified high-quality raspberry vines of varieties including Tulameen, Meeker and Polka to fruit producers in Sabats.
The Petrovich family is one of the 254 beneficiaries in the municipality who applied for the raspberry vine assistance program in the town of Prnjavol near the municipality of Sabac after their 11 hectares of land were flooded. The family – Jovan, his wife Gordana and their two sons Milan and Ivan – have been growing raspberries for years.
Due to the flooding, their raspberry vines either withered or were completely destroyed. The family raises cattle and pigs and grows maize, beans, wheat and clover. However, their half-hectare raspberry field has become an important source of income. After applying for support, FAO provided the family with 1,800 high-quality, certified Tulameen raspberry vines in autumn 2014.
The Petrovics, whose Tulameen vines are known for their high yields and sweet taste, produced six tons of raspberries on 50 acres of land. The family father, Jovan Petrovic, said he was very satisfied: “The raspberry vines we received were of very good quality and the yield was good. As this is the first harvest, I expect higher yields and better quality in the following seasons. I thank everyone who helped us to resume raspberry production after the floods.”
Training for the future
To learn from the past, prepare for the future, and help develop National Disaster Risk Management PlanFAO organized a training workshop on disaster risk reduction and management. About 30 participants, including professionals from the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, the Acting Assistant Director of the Office of Reconstruction and Disaster Relief and FAO experts, worked together to identify priority activities for disaster risk reduction and management in the agricultural sector.
“This workshop demonstrated the need to move towards resilience-building measures related to agriculture,” said Olga Butto, Climate Change Officer at FAO’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. “Now that the initial shock of the floods is over, everyone is looking to the future and really working on prevention, mitigation and preparedness. We know that every dollar spent on prevention and preparedness can save three to five dollars in emergency response.”
A new series of climate change adaptation trainings was launched in eastern Serbia in autumn 2016. In 42 sessions, farmers from seven municipalities will be trained on how to better adapt to the production of cereal and fodder crops, fruit, livestock and vegetables, how to make better use of agricultural machinery and improve farm management practices, and how to better cope with the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture and build resilience.
About the EU flood relief plan
In response to the devastating flood in May 2014, The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is implementing the project in partnership with FAO, HELP and ABS, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the World Bank and the Government of Serbia. this EU flood relief programme.
The largest EU aid currently provided for flood relief in Serbia is €92 million from the EU Pre-Accession Aid Agreement (IPA) in 2012 and 2014. Funds will be used to build new homes, repair public buildings and infrastructure, private homes and roads, and for economic and agricultural recovery in the municipalities most affected by the floods.
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