USAID Agribusiness Project

Increased value of Serbian agricultural product sales,
and increased agricultural employment

The USAID Agribusiness Project is a five-year program for Serbia that started in September 2007. The project is funded by US Agency for International Development and implemented by Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) in cooperation with International Relief and Development (IRD) and Booz Allen Hamilton.

This economic development project is working in the area of agriculture to increase the value of Serbian agricultural products sales and agricultural employment. Following extensive research, the project has selected the following sub-sectors as having the highest potential: berries; dairy products; herbs, spices and mushrooms; livestock; tree fruit; and, vegetables. Activities will enhance the competitiveness of Serbian producers and their place in local, regional, and international markets.

Project components:

Increasing Efficiency and Competitiveness of Serbian Agribusiness:

	Strengthen producer organizations,
	Improve agribusiness development services delivery ,
	Develop a youth enterprise program and business plan competition.

Improving Enabling Environment for Serbian agribusiness:

	Improve crop and livestock production estimates and market price information systems,
	Facilitate legal, policy, and regulatory reform.

Expected results:

By 2012, the USAID Agribusiness Project will have helped:

	Create 10,000 new jobs in agricultural processing and servicing,
	Add a cumulative $350 million to exports, and
	$1.2 billion to GDP.

Serbia will have a more dynamic agricultural sector exporting significantly more product into the region and the EU.

Serbian producers will be:

	Primary suppliers of supermarket chains in Serbia and will be using their distribution networks to enter regional markets,
	Better organized and integrated into formal marketing channels, supplying local and international markets with differentiated products unique to their regions, with increased incomes and employment.

Serbian agribusinesses, will be:

	Producing safe food, with proper certification (such as HACCP, etc), serviced by strong Agribusiness Development Service (ABDS) providers,
	Working more effectively with one another, creating business alliances and linkages up and down the value chain to address common problems and collaborating to develop a Serbian brand for export markets.

USAID Agribusiness Project’s key personnel are:

Louis Faoro, Chief of Party
James Herne, Deputy Chief of Party

IRD staff implementing Agribusiness Project in Serbia:

Slavenko Djokic
M&E Specialist/Grants Manager, based in Belgrade

Pedja Cerovic
Producer Organizations Development Specialist – Tree fruit sub-sector lead-coordinator, based in Belgrade

Sasa Marusic
Agriculture Development Officer – Berries sub-sector lead-coordinator, based in Cacak

Vlade Petrovic
Agriculture Development Officer – Herbs, spices and mushrooms sub-sector lead-coordinator, based in Cacak

Tisa Causevic
Agricultural Development Officer/Livestock Sector Lead

Katarina Mrkovic
Agricultural Development Officer/Tree Fruit Sector Lead

USAID Agribusiness Project offices in Serbia:

Belgrade
Address: Internacionalnih brigada 57,
Tel: 011 2436 611, 3445 363, 3445 365,
011 3448 507, 3448 494, 3448 501
Fax:

E-mail: office@agrobiznis.net

Čačak
Address: Dragise Misovica 73
Tel: 032/371 554

Novi Sad
Address: Skolska 3
Tel: 021/528 490

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