Agriculture Minister Tihomir Jakovina said that two years after accession to the European Union indicators were not great. "The reason is that reforms did not begin in time, we had been preparing for ten years to join the EU, and we knew what we could expect," he said.
Jakovina said that apart from challenges and problems faced by Croatian farmers, there were also great opportunities, especially with regard to EU funds, adding that the first set of tenders under a rural development programme had finished. "1,280 farms applied, which shows that producers were well prepared and forward looking," he said.
"Continued reforms, primarily land reform, regulation of the system of grants and the market, investing in knowledge and technology, agricultural producers joining to form cooperatives and clusters, life-long education of farmers, young farmers, that's the future," Jakovina said.
Goran Pajnic of the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) said that agriculture had felt more negative effects of EU accession than positive ones. "As for agricultural production, we have been falling considerably over the last few years, not just in absolute amounts but also in proportion of GDP. This means that agricultural production is falling faster than GDP, which is a matter for concern," he said.
In the period from 2012 to 2014, 9,000 jobs in agriculture were lost, and the average net monthly salary in the sector dropped to 70 per cent of the national average. In 2012, 49,121 people worked in agriculture, compared with 40,777 in 2014.
Last year the coverage of imports with exports was 57.6 per cent, and the agricultural trade deficit was EUR 981.9 million.
Pajnic said that agriculture had potential, but required great investment, not just in equipment but in knowledge too. "Unfortunately, agriculture is not one of the priorities," he said, stressing the need for a strategy.