USAID

USAID’s Agribusiness Project is a five-year economic development project aimed at increasing the competitiveness of Serbia’s agribusiness industry, as measured by increased sales and jobs of assisted companies. The project works in six agricultural sub-sectors: (1) berry fruits; (2) dairy products; (3) herbs & mushrooms; (4) livestock & meat; (5) tree fruits; (6) vegetables. The project’s activities are divided into two main components: Increasing Efficiency & Competitiveness and Improving the Enabling Environment for Serbian Agribusinesses. The project also has implemented a $3 million matching grant program for agribusinesses.

• Strengthen producer organizations such as cooperatives and agribusiness associations
• Provide technical assistance & training to client food processors
• Improve private Agribusiness Development Services (ABDS)
• Encourage youth involvement in agribusiness & foster start-ups
• Develop women’s entrepreneurship and support business expansion
• Enable clients to access new markets and increase export sales
• Ensure environmental compliance by client firms and contracted producers
• Improve Serbian livestock and crop production estimates and planning
• Improve animal/ plant health and food safety for consumers
• Improve compliance with international standards
• Assist advocacy efforts for relevant legislative, policy and regulatory reforms
  

• With project assistance, agribusiness client companies have attended 46 food and agriculture trade shows since October 2007.
• The Culinaria Food Show, conceived in 2010 by the project, has established itself as a regional food show with the first two shows in Belgrade resulting in over $10 million in sales.
• 296 agricultural-related firms, and 96 producer organizations, have received marketing and sales assistance from the project.
• Five new national industry associations for the organic, herb, mushroom, meat, and dairy sectors have been created.
• Nearly 20,000 participants in training seminars and workshops have been organized by the project over the past four years.
• The project’s Women in Agribusiness Program has assisted 600 women from rural areas prepare business plans. The women with the best plans were eligible to receive start-up grants of up to $15,000, while others used their plans to secure bank loans.
• During the past year, the project has partnered with five local banks, helping them develop new loan products for rural clients, with 52 loans issued to date.