FINANCING AGRICULTURE IN SERBIA: INSIGHTS AND EVALUATION OF THE IPARD PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract

The agricultural sector is one of the vital pillars of the Republic of Serbia (RS) economic development, while its role is reflected in the contribution to income generation, the provision of new jobs and overall foreign trade exchange. In the processes of encouraging the development of domestic agriculture, the IPARD program is of particular importance as one of the key tools of financial and technical support that the European Union (EU) provides to candidate countries and potential candidates in the field of agriculture and rural development, including Serbia. This program, which is a part of the EU's broader strategy to support rural areas, provides financial assistance to farmers through subsidies aimed at modernizing agricultural production, improving infrastructure and adopting sustainable production methods.

This article is dedicated to the analysis of the importance and role of the IPARD program in the financing of RS agriculture, with a review of its most significant characteristics, goals and measures, as well as an overview of the results achieved so far in its implementation. The paper pays special attention to the participation of sensitive population categories, as well as practical problems and obstacles in its realization. In addition to its indisputable contributions to the modernization...