In the presence of Acting Assistant Minister of Agriculture for Rural Development, Aleksandar Bogićević, State Secretaries Bratislav Ćirković and Željko Radošević, Special Advisor to the Minister Milica Janković, FAO National Programme Coordinator in Serbia Aleksandar Mentov, Directors of Agricultural Advisory and Extension Services (PSSS), and representatives of authorized organizations, the third and final workshop for drafting the Decree on the Adoption of the Medium-Term Programme for the Development of Advisory Services in Agriculture for the Period 2026–2030 was held on 2 October at the Agricultural Club within the Rural Development Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia (MAFWM).
On this occasion, the process of developing the document was presented, along with the draft itself, which was adopted as a draft version at the end of the workshop.
In their opening remarks, officials from MAFWM and FAO emphasized the importance of the advisory system for agricultural development, while Aleksandar Bogićević highlighted that the main goal of the document is the continued advancement of this system. Aleksandar Mentov thanked the Rural Development Department for its ongoing cooperation and underscored the importance of the entire process that led to the creation of the draft Decree on the Adoption of the Medium-Term Programme for the Development of Advisory Services in Agriculture for the Period 2026–2030, noting that it was highly consultative.
The Medium-Term Programme for the Development of Advisory Services in Agriculture is a key strategic document that defines the directions for development and main activities in the advisory sector over a five-year period. Its main objective is to improve the quality and accessibility of advisory services, as one of the essential instruments of institutional support in agriculture. The Agricultural Advisory and Extension Services (PSSS) play a central role in knowledge and innovation transfer, building entrepreneurial capacities, income diversification, and the promotion of sustainable production practices - thereby directly contributing to the competitiveness and resilience of Serbian agriculture. The importance of advisory services is further increasing in the context of climate change, stricter production standards, and dynamic market developments, which call for a systematic approach to their improvement.
The process of developing this document included multi-day workshops and extensive consultations with representatives of MAFWM, PSSS, the Institute for the Application of Science in Agriculture (IPN), the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops (a National Institute of Importance for the Republic of Serbia, NS Seme), and farmers, as the end users of advisory services.
The entire process was carried out within the framework of the project “Strengthening Disaster Resilience in Agriculture”, funded by the European Union and implemented by FAO in cooperation with the MAFWM and other national partners.