Polancec said that last year's export-import ratio in the agriculture sector was 65 per cent. Three years ago it was less than 50 per cent, while in 2007 it was expected to reach 70-75 per cent, he said, adding that state subsidies in 2007 would be about 80 per cent higher than in 2000.
Speaking of the competitiveness of Croatian agriculture, Polancec said that many of the programmes launched by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management were aimed at increasing competitiveness.
He cited programmes aimed at developing cattle and pig breeding, vegetable growing and promoting "kulen" as a national brand of spicy sausage.
The political goals of this government are full membership of the European Union and NATO, while its economic goals are above-average economic growth and reduction of unemployment, the deputy prime minister said, adding that agriculture and the food industry could significantly contribute to economic growth.
Our goal is to increase the GDP share of agriculture and the food industry from the present 6.5 per cent to around 10 per cent, he stressed.
Polancec noted that all the operational programmes and state subsidies would not be enough to ensure the competitiveness of domestic agriculture unless the problem of fragmentation of farm holdings was solved.
The average farm holding now measures 1.9 hectares in area and that should be changed, he said, adding that a programme had been prepared to help consolidate farm land, but that its implementation would require a lot of money.
The symposium was being attended by several hundred specialists and scientists from 21 countries who were to present 325 scientific papers on the results of the latest research in agricultural production.
The symposium closes on February 16.