Rakovica gave land for organic food production project

(Photo: Zdravo.ba)

In the Rakovica municipality, at one Hecate of agricultural land, the project called "Entrepreneurship development through promotion of organically grown food” which Norway funds with EUR 39.920.

As it was said at today’s presentation of the project, it was planned it should last for eight months, by August 2015 totaling EUR 50.370.

It was outlined that project objective is to increase the number of the employed youth who do not have hobs and live in Belgrade municipalities on the outskirts.

President of the Rakovica municipality, Vladan Kocic, said that 60 young people from Belgrade, age to 35, will have the chance through this project to train themselves for production of organic food and acquire new experience which will make them more competitive at the labor market.

He outlined that the large number of young people after they complete secondary education do not have vision of what they would do and that it has been estimated that some 33% of the young up to 35 is unemployed and that in the territory of Belgrade, especially at the municipalities on the outskirts there is plenty of land which has not been cultivated and has not been polluted with pesticides so this project is a huge chance to change that trend.

Kocic reminded that it is estimated that je 69,1% of land in Belgrade is agricultural.

The Ambassador of Norway in Belgrade, Nils Ragnar Kamsvag, said that that country supports all projects which promote organic production and encourage young entrepreneurs.

- Our focus is the field of rule of law, administrative reforms, safety sector reforms, human rights promotion, economic development, energy and environmental protection sector but anyone who has an idea for an interesting and important project can apply for our support and it was the case with this project- he said.

He reminded that since 2000 until today, Norway invested in Serbia some EUR 1,6 billion and donated some EUR 250 m.

At the presentation, it was told that the Rakovica municipality picked up the land which will be used as experimental land where the youth will be trained for organic food growing while Beogradske pijace will provide stands for sale of these agricultural products.

It has also been told that project partners are municipalities Lazarevac, Vozdovac and Zemun and it is expected that they will be in charge of the project promotion. The Office for the Youth of the City of Belgrade will implement the project.