Tractors and machinery of dissatisfied farmers parked on the boulevard not far from the government building, fishermen announcing a blockade of Boka Kotorska because they do not have ports for docking and mooring ships, a drop in sales of domestic cheeses due to unfair competition and the emergence of Q fever, the suspension of milk purchases due to large stocks, the introduction of excise duty refunds on fuel used in agriculture, the tense temporary closure of two agricultural negotiation chapters with the European Union (EU)...
These are just some of the most significant events that marked the agricultural sector last year.
Despite the problems, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management told "Vijesti" that the agricultural policy measures they are introducing are continuously strengthening domestic agriculture, that there are more registered producers, livestock, liters of milk and intensive plantings, and that the investments have had a direct and measurable impact on the sustainability of primary production and that they believe that the amount of support for investments should be increased, as well as allocations for the agricultural budget.
However, this is not what "Vijesti"'s interlocutors from the livestock, fishing and other sectors think, saying that they believe that their position in Montenegro has never been worse, that there are fewer of them, that the problems are more pressing, that food imports are growing while domestic production is weakening, that they are being suffocated by bureaucracy and the import lobby, with low and insufficient subsidies.
Although Montenegro temporarily closed two negotiation chapters at the end of last year, 11 - agriculture and rural development and 13 - fisheries, farmers claim that joining the EU will bring new problems because they are not even close to being ready for that market and competition.
CHALLENGES AROUND PLACEMENT
The Ministry of Agriculture told "Vijesti" that Montenegro, upon accession to the European Union, will have the right to use significant financial resources that are also available to its member states, and that this will have a direct and strong positive impact on the further development of agriculture.
From the department he manages Vladimir Jokovic They emphasized that one of the main challenges will be the marketing of domestic products, given that the country will become part of a single market and face increased competition, and therefore, in the coming period, intensive work must be done to strengthen competitiveness, expand the range of final agricultural and food products, and unite producers for a joint appearance on the market.
"Agrarian policy measures are continuously strengthening domestic agricultural production. As a direct indicator of this, we note the continuous growth in the number of registered agricultural producers, the number of livestock, liters of milk produced, as well as intensive plantings registered in the 'ELPIS' system. Investment measures have had a direct and measurable impact on the sustainability of primary agricultural production. We believe that the amount of support for investment measures should be further increased, and therefore the allocations for the agricultural budget should be raised to a higher level. All of the above contributes to ensuring the quality, continuity and competitiveness of domestic production. A particularly important segment in this process is the protection of products with a geographical indication of origin, which provides additional security and confirmation that domestic production can be recognizable, competitive and sustainable in the long term."
When asked about increases in subsidies and other payments for agriculture, they emphasized that it is necessary to create measures with larger amounts of support intended for young agricultural producers, and that direct payments currently account for more than 50 percent of the agricultural budget, while the European Commission (EC) recommends that they be at the level of 13 percent of the national budget.
They pointed out that in order to preserve and improve the dairy sector, they reached an agreement with the European Commission to maintain the support amounts for raw milk and cheese at the current level.
FOKUS OBNOVA FLOTE
The Ministry of Agriculture also claims that through the new Excise Law, they have created a model to enable agricultural producers to refund excise taxes on fuel for the previous year, i.e. to further reduce costs and make the sector more sustainable.
They emphasized that they have devoted significant attention to the development of fisheries and that this sector can still be improved on several levels. They added that one of their goals is to modernize the fishing fleet and equipment through investments in more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient vessels, so through two public calls within the framework of the "MIDAS" project (supported by the World Bank), they have invested "significant money" in the renovation of the small fishing fleet, while reconstruction has been made possible for large fishing trawlers and purse seines, with support of up to 80 percent of the investment value.
They also claim that a large number of ships have been renovated, equipped with more modern technology and adapted to the demanding conditions of work at sea, and that they will further support modernization in the future because it is effective and important for fishermen. The renovation of the fleet, they say, will make it easier to use the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, which is why they are already harmonizing with the EU's Common Fisheries Policy.
"Until accession to the EU, investments in the modernization and procurement of new vessels will continue, so that the fishing sector is competitive and ready for the common European market. At the same time, work is being done to strengthen control and combat illegal fishing through increased inspection activities and the improvement of the satellite surveillance system. Soon, the entire Montenegrin fishing fleet will be covered by 'VMS' devices for satellite monitoring of vessels, while so far only vessels longer than ten meters have been covered by this system. In parallel, land infrastructure is being strengthened - devices for weighing and electronic data entry of catch, along with ice machines, are being installed at ten locations along the Montenegrin coast. Also, the documentation for the construction of the first fishing port in Ulcinj, on Cape Đeran, is in the final stages of development."
THEY WANT MORE PROCESSING
The Ministry also emphasizes that market development and processing are an important segment of improving fisheries, and that they are focusing on opening fish processing, filleting, canning and freezing plants, as well as branding these domestic foods and encouraging exports. They say that these measures are being implemented through subsidies for fuel, equipment procurement, farming and favorable loans.
They claim that the sector is also being strengthened through education on sustainable fishing methods, courses on the use of modern equipment, processing and marketing. They state that their strategic goal is to create long-term sustainable working conditions for fishermen, farmers and their organizations, while strengthening the competitiveness of the sector and aquaculture.
"The Ministry is already investing significant funds in various lines of support - from professional fishing at sea and lakes, to aquaculture and mariculture farmers, to financing fishing associations and scientific research institutions. It is particularly important to emphasize that interest is growing year after year, which confirms that the measures are properly designed and directed towards the real needs of the sector. In the field of marine fisheries, 100% use of available funds is recorded, while the modernization of small-scale coastal fishing is one of the most concrete examples of the success of the measures - the fleet has been practically completely renovated, technologically advanced and ready to meet European standards and the demands of the future market," the Ministry said.
This department emphasizes that they are working intensively on harmonizing support measures with European ones, and that they expect that after the closing of the negotiation chapters, they will become even more precise and more focused on sustainability, innovation and strengthening market capacities, in order to create an environment in which fishermen and farmers will be able to plan their development in the long term, and Montenegro will be ready to fully utilize the available financing and support instruments.
INSTEAD OF FISH, THEY WILL CARRY TOURISTS
The president of the National Association of Fish Producers told "Vijesti" that nothing has been done in the domestic fishing industry in the context of the EU fisheries policy, that is, there are no ports, incentives and loans. Marko Kise.
He emphasized that this sector has pressing problems because they do not have the same conditions as European fishermen, and will not be able to comply with the minimum environmental standards there because they do not have the means.
They claim that they don't want to be given money, but rather that the state doesn't take it from them, because even for the annual exemption from excise duties and VAT on fuel - they have to put up houses as collateral and fill out extensive paperwork...
"Fishermen are in a difficult position and will have to respect harsh conditions and enormous bureaucracy when entering the EU, so we will have to hire people for documentation. We have no ports, we have no place for the first landing of fish, there is no order or conditions, while we have nowhere to repair ships and buy equipment, so we do all the work in Croatia. I think that upon entering the EU, most will give up and switch to driving tourists, because the requirements are minimal there. Montenegro can immediately resolve the issue of the fishing port, because the state has a signed contract for part of the 'Lazure' port in Meljine, but the state and the Special State Prosecutor's Office have not resolved this issue for years," said Kise.
The association and a number of fishermen planned to block sea traffic at the end of August last year due to difficult working conditions, but they abandoned this after the Ministry of Agriculture invited them to a meeting. The traffic suspension did not occur because at a meeting in early September it was agreed to form a working group consisting of representatives of the ministries of maritime affairs, finance, economic development and the Coastal Zone, which was supposed to solve the problem.
Kise states that the Ministry of Finance has not yet appointed a representative to that group, so their status remains unchanged.
NO LONG-TERM VISION
The Agricultural Cluster stated that agriculture in Montenegro is currently in the most difficult position in the last few decades, while the number of livestock is constantly decreasing, small farms and households are closing down, and the average age of farmers is increasing and is now 59 years old. This is why members of this association protested several times last year in front of the Ministry of Agriculture building, while at the end of 2025 they drove tractors through the streets of Podgorica and parked them not far from the government building.
Cluster President Boško Miličić told "Vijesti" that they are watching young people leave villages, domestic food production is declining, food imports are constantly increasing, and that everything is a consequence of the wrong agricultural policy.
He pointed out that the agricultural budget is small because only 30 million euros go to direct support in all sectors, while agriculture contributes 5,5 percent to domestic GDP.
"Domestic producers operate in the most difficult conditions in the region, fuel is among the most expensive and agricultural machinery is on average about 30 percent more expensive than in the surrounding area. Subsidies and premiums are many times lower compared to countries that take their agriculture seriously. I see the abolition of VAT for users of IPARD funds, the retention and expected increase in subsidies from the relevant ministry and some municipalities per liter of milk as positive, the initiative of the ministry's representatives to establish a Breeding Center in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, so that we in Montenegro can also solve the problem of livestock registry. We need a clear long-term development strategy, which we, unfortunately, do not have...", emphasized Miličić.
He added that only the egg production sector occasionally records sufficiency, while domestic farmers remain one of the few in Europe who pay taxes on agricultural land and excise duties on fuel.
Miličić also said that he believes that every form of investment in young farmers returns to the state many times over and that this should be done immediately - especially in the north, because it will be difficult for anyone to return to neglected villages, and the state will not have domestic food.
Montenegro, he says, is not ready for the single EU market, while work and adaptation will be needed due to the transition to European standards in all sectors. Miličić pointed out that processing, product packaging, the "buy domestic" campaign stand out here, but that they still depend on the goodwill of large retail chains, because they meet their needs even though they are not obligated to. He claims that the Ministry must therefore see them as partners and go through paperwork and other barriers with them, that is, to make it easier for them and point out mistakes, rather than being critical and punitive.
ALARMING SITUATION
President of the Northern Cattlemen's Union Milko Zivkovic said that Montenegro received the official results of the Agricultural Census last year, which showed that the situation was alarming in almost all its areas and that a serious reaction from the Government with concrete measures towards young people was to be expected, in order to motivate them to stay in agriculture and continue the family tradition of food production, but that this did not happen.
He stressed that there are positive growth trends in egg, chicken and pork production, but that these sectors also depend on food imports. He added that Montenegro is a small area, that production possibilities are limited and that the Balkan market operates according to a system of interconnected courts.
"This environment obliges the Government and ministries to additionally subsidize agricultural production, more than the environment, so that domestic food production is competitive on the market. Given that this attitude of the state has been absent, the situation in domestic agriculture is very difficult. The positive side of Montenegrin agriculture is the farmers themselves who, in difficult natural conditions, unfair competition on the market, with the frequent occurrence of dumping prices - manage to survive and preserve their production. The unregulated market for agricultural products, the import lobby, insufficient investment in agriculture and rural infrastructure are currently the most current negative trends," Živković told "Vijesti".
He emphasized that agriculture should be exempt from taxes and excise duties, by treating a registered agricultural farm as a company, while pricing policy would be regulated in a way that prevents money from going into the pockets of traders.
He stressed that domestic livestock farmers are not ready for European conditions and competition, and warned that Montenegro faces the temptation and danger of the Croatian scenario, when, as he says, 12.000 small and medium-sized farms were closed before and after entering the EU, so he hopes that the state will have the will to help and preserve agriculture.
Livestock farming and dairy producers were not immune to problems last year, as there were delays in the purchase of lambs and several-day suspensions of milk purchases, after some dairies had a surplus of supplies. The problem was overcome after the prices of domestic products were reduced in stores, to the detriment of processors and traders, while some of the milk was exported.
Small scales, little ice
The Ministry of Agriculture planned to connect fish weighing devices, ice machines and electronic record-keeping devices worth 586.850 euros to the electricity and water supply networks in ten locations along the Montenegrin coast by the end of last year.
Although the scales were purchased, ten locations were waiting for electrical and water connections, because several institutions that the Government obligated in July 2024 had not yet submitted approvals and completed the preparatory work.
Marko Kise emphasized that these are small scales for coastal fishing, that they are expensive and that they are only installed in Montenegro.
"What should I do with a catch of 400 kilograms of fish? I can't bring that much in crates by hand, nor can the machines make that much ice," he said.
Disputes over chapters
Montenegro was supposed to temporarily close five negotiation chapters at the end of last year, while "Vijesti" reported that France had blocked two agricultural chapters - because they were not ready for closure and sufficiently aligned with the EU acquis.
France eventually gave the green light, however, after the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic communicated with the first man of that country Emmanuel Macron. According to unofficial information from the editorial office, Milatović did this at the initiative of the Minister of European Affairs. Maida Gorcevic, that is, after she informed him that Paris had decided to block the closure of two chapters.
At that time, representatives of the Government, led by the Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, had diplomatic activities with representatives of member states. According to unofficial information from "Vijesti", Spajić was also in communication with Macron and the German Chancellor Friedrich Merck.
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