FAO Technical Assistance Programme for emergency response after the 2023 floods completed

Belgrade, April 26, 2024 – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia announced today that the distribution of the financial support within the FAO Technical Assistance Programme for Emergency Response after floods in 2023 has been completed.

Under the FAO emergency response programme and in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia, financial support in the form of vouchers worth RSD 66 000 each, was distributed to the most vulnerable farming households that suffered damage after last year's floods. The vouchers will enable vulnerable farmers to purchase goods and inputs for agricultural production, including seeds, planting material, fertilizers, small agricultural tools and equipment, spare parts, and materials for the repair of agricultural machinery. 

Support was provided to farmers in Trstenik, Varvarin, Ćićevac, Kuršumlija, Brus, Ćuprija, Ražanj, Aleksinac, Doljevac and Rekovac. In these ten municipalities, 327 beneficiary households with more than 1 300 members received assistance to restore production after last year's natural disasters.

Floods last year in Serbia hit hard 56 municipalities, predominantly located in central and south Serbia, causing extensive damage to both infrastructure and agricultural lands. Many smallholder farmers engaged in labour-intensive production who are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, were directly impacted by the floods. 

With the aim of providing the necessary support to farmers facing difficulties, FAO, under the Technical Assistance Programme for Emergency Response and in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia, has stepped forward to help farmers recover from flood damage.