At a well-attended press conference held on the premises of Palazzo Italia in Belgrade, Italy’s participation as a partner country in the 90th Novi Sad Agricultural Fair was presented.
Director of the Belgrade office of the ICE Agency, Antonio Ventresca, introduced the event by recalling how agricultural machinery imports grew by 22 percent in 2022, adding that “the list of twenty-one participating companies exhibiting on as many as 500 square metres shows an increase in the quality of the exhibitors and the technological solutions they will propose” during the most important sectoral event in Central and Southern Europe.
Italian Ambassador to Serbia Luca Gori remarked that the Italian participation in the Fair should be viewed through the framework of Italy’s renewed geopolitical engagement in the Western Balkans, thus also as a commitment of the entire Italian system, with the direct involvement of Banca Intesa Beograd and DDOR, which will combine hosting events at the Fair with “The Week of Italian Culture in Novi Sad” and the promotion of scientific, cultural and technological solutions. One of the more important events will be a “Taranta Night” in Novi Sad and a conference on biotechnologies in agriculture.
State Secretary of Agriculture, Dusanka Golubovic, pointed out that Serbian agriculture needs to follow two development lines – higher implementation of technologies and biotechnology in agriculture and boosting traditional and quality production typical of Serbia, promoting the Serbian denomination of origin in the country and abroad, organic production, the ability of small producers to increase the quality of dairy products, meat from local farms, and raising the awareness of Serbian fruit and vegetable production.
Globos insurance company from Novi Sad is the Fair’s main sponsor. Globos’ Managing Director, Sinisa Pratljaic, highlighted his company’s ambitions to gain more prominence in the agricultural sector through insurance solutions specifically designed for farmers. Aleksandar Cortan, Director General of the Postal Savings Bank of Serbia (Banka Postanska Stedionica), underlined his company’s commitment to be closer to customers in the primary sector, not only through more than 200 of the bank’s branches but also through mobile branches, to serve even the most peripheral areas.
This post is also available in: Italiano