The president of the Association of agricultural producers – milkmen of the RS Vladimir Usorac said that the indirect damages in agriculture caused by drought in the RS amount to more than 500 million BAM.
Usorac warned that, due to high temperatures, this year was “disastrous” and another one in a series of bad years for the farmers, regardless of drought or floods.
Usorac recalled that 2010 was a flood year, followed by three drought years, major floods occurred last year, and this year will again be marked with high temperatures.
“That means that agriculture is suffering unfavorable weather conditions for six consecutive years, which minimizes its development since we are dealing with the consequences of the bad weather instead with the development”, Usorac pointed out.
Usorac said this refers to the Ministries which are attempting to repair the damages, and not to launch the development programs with the greatest possible production.
This year, the consequences of high temperatures also manifested on the production of milk, which has been decreased by 10 to 20 percent on the farms, while the cattle even died on several farms.
Usorac assures that neither the possible proclamation of natural disaster caused by drought in the RS would help the agricultural manufacturers, since the Government of the RS has got no money to additionally intervene in that case.
The estimation of damages to about 200 million BAM by the Government of the RS is, according to Usorac, the direct damage on the crops, but the indirect damage is a lot greater and exceeds 500 million BAM, which is a quarter of the budget of the RS. Therefore, according to Usorac, agricultural producers do not get too carried away that the budget “which is violated with loans might compensate for the damage”.
(Source: akta.ba/ photo novovrijeme)