The production of healthy food and the economic strengthening of villages are one of the main prerequisites for the further economic development of the municipality of Žabljak. The prospects for agricultural development relate to the improvement and perfection of organic production and the creation of recognizable brands. The development and strengthening of the multifunctional role of agriculture also includes its connection with the development of tourism, as stated in the draft Spatial Urban Plan of Žabljak, which is under public discussion.
The development of tourism and agriculture, it was concluded, are the only ways to stop the population exodus. In the previous plan from 2010, it was planned that Žabljak would have 2021 inhabitants in 4.200, however, in the 2023 census, there were 3.002.
The number of farms is decreasing
Despite good conditions, especially for livestock farming and the possibility of marketing products through tourism, from one census to the next, there are fewer and fewer agricultural farms, as well as fewer livestock. In 2003, there were 717 farms, in 2010 the number decreased to 623, and in last year's census to 426. Compared to the previous census, the number of cattle decreased from 2.002 to 1.655, sheep from 6.909 to 4.591 and pigs from 465 to 325. An increase was recorded in goats - from 152 to 198, poultry from 2.597 to 5.615 and bee hives from 135 to 534.
The plan's developers state that tourism and healthy food production are the foundations of Žabljak's development and are interconnected, which is why they propose branding local products, developing infrastructure in villages, building a slaughterhouse, dairy, points of sale, cold storage, warehouses... better veterinary protection, more support measures...
"Agriculture appears here as a supplier of food, raw materials and labor, but also as a motive for tourist movements of people. The specific agricultural production required by ecotourism and agritourism implies preserving the identity of the area and producing food according to organic principles," the draft plan states.
There are conditions for production growth.
The plan includes estimates of possible production, so that farms in this municipality could produce 7,5 tons of sheep's scorup, 11 tons of sheep's cheese, 50 tons of cow's scorup and 83 tons of cow's cheese. Also, 90 tons of beef, 126 tons of cow's meat, 100 tons of beef and 17 tons of sheep's meat could be produced.
Of the crop production, the most important in this mountainous area are the cultivation of cereals, potatoes and cabbage. The possible production of barley has been estimated at 30 tons, rye at 20 tons, potatoes at 2.400 tons and cabbage at 40 tons.
It was concluded that for a household to be successful, two to three active members would be needed, and that the potential income per member would be at the level of the average wage.
The biggest problems cited were the aging of people involved in agriculture, poor road and electricity infrastructure in villages, insufficient processing capacities, lack of a domestic production brand, insufficient connections with tourism...
The main drivers of the development of livestock production, as stated, should be rural households, farms and cooperatives.
"Given the structure of agricultural areas, livestock farming, primarily cattle and sheep farming, will continue to be the most prevalent branch of agriculture in the future... It is necessary to focus on market production and enable as many households (farms) as possible to become commodity producers. In this area, mini-farms of cows, goats and sheep can be established among the local population, and in the economy near Žabljak, which owns agricultural areas, it is necessary to establish a reproduction center for breeding heifers and lambs, especially since there are stables on the aforementioned site that could be adapted and new ones built according to needs," the document states.
There is enough land.
The authors believe that land is not a limiting factor for these farms, as there is enough of it.
"The basic size of cattle farms would be 10 cows, which require the activity of one household and officially only one employee, as well as a farm of 100 sheep. Taking into account the available human and natural resources, it is possible to organize about 80 such cattle farms and the same number of sheep farms in this area, which would employ about 200 farmers, about 2.000 hectares of pastures and about 200 hectares of meadows," the document states.
In this area, as they state, livestock farming as the main agricultural branch needs to be intensified, which requires improving livestock housing and nutrition, as well as increasing feed production.
"In this sense, investments are necessary in the improvement of meadows and pastures and an increase in the production of natural grass - hay. Better use of existing areas is necessary, as well as the cultivation of part of the pastures and natural meadows and their conversion into arable land for the production of annual and perennial forage crops, i.e. for the production of animal feed (clover-grass mixture)," the document states.
Planners predict that the already developed livestock farming in the Jezerska površa and Sinjajevina should be improved, and in other areas on smaller complexes of pasture areas the development of small livestock farms should be promoted. In Njegovuđa, as the center of the Sinjajevina area, a center of agricultural activities, a service point for repairing tools and a collection point for buying up market surpluses are planned.
Farms with 50 to 100 sheep require one to two engaged household members, as well as eight hectares of land.
"For the provision of meadow hay, about 3-4 hectares; grass silage with 1-1,5 hectares and for other food (alfalfa, etc.) about 2-3 hectares," the plan states.
For farms with 200 sheep, two to three workers are needed, 9-15 hectares for providing meadow hay, 4-8 hectares for grass silage, and about 100 hectares of pasture.
Without sheep, pastures would become overgrown and would not be attractive to tourists.
Sheep production, as stated, will continue to be characterized by relatively extensive production in the coming period - by grazing livestock on pastures.
"So, an increase in the number of sheep breeders cannot be expected, but it is realistic to expect an increase in the number of heads per herd... Grazing on mountain pastures and other poorly accessible terrain achieves multiple benefits and well-being. The multiplicative effect is reflected in the more efficient use of available resources, i.e. the only way to exploit the cheapest livestock feed on the one hand, then the preservation of mountain pastures and meadows from overgrowth, i.e. the preservation of flora biodiversity, as well as a contribution to raising the aesthetic, landscape, and thus tourist value and attractiveness of mountain slopes and areas as a whole. Mountain pastures are empty, i.e. without flocks of sheep and herds of other types of domestic animals, they would significantly lose their attractiveness from a tourist perspective," the document states.
Necessary cold storage, slaughterhouse and dairy - 3,5 million euros
In order to develop livestock production, in the coming period, as the authors of the plan believe, attention must be paid to activating existing and building new livestock markets, purchasing stations in all local centers, and building capacities for meat and milk processing.
"Possible capacities with estimated indicative prices and engaged workforce would be as follows: cold storage, whose value is around 350.000 to 500.000 euros, with 10 to 15 workers, not including seasonal labor; slaughterhouses, whose average price is around 1.800.000 euros (including the cold storage); with 30 to 50 employees; dairy, with a capacity of around 10.000 liters of milk for daily processing and yogurt production, which employs around 20 workers, and the purchase of its equipment would amount to 1,2 million euros," the recommendation states.
They also recommend capacities for processing medicinal herbs and forest fruits, as well as continental fruits, warehouses for concentrated animal feed, warehouses for storing and storing seed and market potatoes, cereal seeds...
"Njegovuđa, as the primary area for locating processing capacities, is a priority location, but smaller, environmentally friendly plants that operate in accordance with environmental standards) can also be located in other places (smaller slaughterhouses and cold storage facilities in Podgora, within the local economy in Tmajevac, etc.). It is necessary to build road infrastructure and water supply facilities, and then provide electrification of individual katuns and mobile telephony and broadband internet signals. This will contribute to a better quality of life in rural areas, and provide farmers with better access to the market," the plan states.
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