82 NEW TRACTORS PROCURED, 243 IN TOTAL SO FAR

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 16 /SRNA/ - The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska has successfully completed this year's support programme for the procurement of "Belarus" tractors, with 82 new tractors procured for young farmers, Minister Anđelka Kuzmić told SRNA.

Kuzmić said that the 82 tractors, with a total value of BAM 6,453,800, were procured as part of the "Village of Republika Srpska - My Place to Live" project.

"The Ministry provided and paid the supplier BAM 3,872,280 for their procurement, while the beneficiaries contributed BAM 2,581,520", Kuzmić said.

She stressed that the particular value of this programme lies in its focus on young people and families who see their future in agriculture and rural areas.

"All 82 beneficiaries are young agricultural producers from 27 local communities in Republika Srpska, including 23 beneficiaries from families with three or more children, as well as six agricultural engineering graduates. Large families and formal education in agriculture were among the additional criteria for scoring beneficiaries," Kuzmić said.

She said these are people who should be the drivers of the development of domestic agriculture, which is why the Government of Republika Srpska and the relevant ministry will continue to support all those who want to remain in rural areas, invest in their farms and build their future through agriculture.

Kuzmić stressed that the completion of the project represents a concrete result of a policy aimed at modernizing production and supporting young people in rural areas.

"This is a continuation of a project that has already produced concrete results. Through two support cycles, a total of 243 new `Belarus` tractors have been procured, which are the best indicator of the effects of this project on our farms. We are continuing to modernize agricultural production, but also introducing measures aimed at giving young people an additional reason to remain on their farms and continue developing agricultural production in Republika Srpska," Kuzmić said.

The public call for the procurement of "Belarus" tractors was published in July, and the programme was intended for young agricultural producers, that is, registered agricultural holding owners up to 40 years of age.

The Ministry's support amounted to 60 percent of the total value of the tractors, while the beneficiaries provided the remaining 40 percent.