No one cares whether the bush or the zetska žuja will survive...Premiums for the preservation of autochthonous (original) species of domestic animals are low, and that little is distributed unfairly, the lists of those who received money are hidden, he tells Center for Investigative Journalism (CIN-CG), president of the Herzegovinian NGO "Buša" Predrag Vujnović.
The native Balkan goat breeders agree with him Svetlana Vuković i Ranko Mrvaljević.
"I'm disappointed with the attitude of the authorities, I live 3,5 kilometers from Podgorica in Vranići, and I don't even have a water supply," Vuković pointed out for CIN-CG.
Mrvaljević says that the premiums are given selectively, so only red goat breeders get them, and it is known that the colored goat has always been represented in these areas.
"Premiums are so low that there are few goats left," said Mrvaljević for CIN-CG.
Owner of a donkey farm in Martinići Darko Saveljic he has understanding for "a country that is in huge problems and where agriculture is on its knees".
"It wasn't even that much expected," said Saveljić in response to CIN-CG's question about the amount of premiums.
He says he can always do better.
Autochthonous species of domestic animals for which incentives are given from the budget are the cattle breed - bush, then the sheep breeds - žuja, sora, lake-piva pramenka and ljaba, domestic Balkan goat (priority of red color) and domestic donkey.
The NGO "Buša" wrote several letters to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry and warned about the neglect of indigenous breeds, which is why, they say, their number has decreased and almost disappeared. They suspect that money to support growers has been distributed for years according to "party recommendations".
From the Ministry, which he has headed for the last year and a half Vladimir Jokovic, answer that support is provided by farmers who "apply in a timely manner and meet the call criteria for awarding premiums (incentives)", without precisely answering CIN-CG's question whether these accusations are true.
According to the current Law on Livestock Breeding, autochthonous breeds and strains of domestic animals that originated and are grown on the territory of Montenegro are part of the national biological heritage and are under special state protection.
The Ministry of Agriculture said that in recent years, the number of agricultural producers who cultivated some of the breeds that are considered a genetic resource in agriculture was around 30.
"Depending on the number of requests and the size of the herd, the number of heads varies, and it can be said that so far, on average, we have granted support for around 100 sheep of the Zetska žuja, sora, ljaba and piva pramenka breeds, 200 bush animals, 60 Balkan goats and 60 domestic donkey", they said.
The premium per head for the bush is 150 euros, for the beer-breasted sheep, sora and ljaba it is 15 euros, while for the sheep it is 50 euros. Premiums for goats are 15 euros per head, and for donkeys 60 euros.
Professor of the Belgrade Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Vladimir Dimitrijevic warns that once a race or strain disappears, the chances of their return are slim to none.
"Something that lived and was useful, not only to people, for hundreds of years disappears forever. This is how we, as a species, 'succeeded' in irreversibly erasing between ten and 40 percent of breeds and strains of domestic animals from the list of once existing ones. The disappearance of such a large number of breeds and strains of domestic animals has an irreversible and devastating effect on genetic diversity, as a basic and invaluable potential for the survival of domestic animal populations," said Dimitrijević for CIN-CG.
CIN-CG did not manage to find sheep breeders - Zeta sheep.
Svetlana Vuković has 80 goats, the so-called the Balkans, but due to the relationship between the authorities, she never asked for a premium.
"Counseling services came to count, test and enroll, that was the end of it. "No one takes care of the herders, who have been doing it for a long time," says Vuković, pointing out that she and her son take care of the animals, and previously her husband and father-in-law did it.
In addition to goats, they also have sheep, pigs, bees, vineyards...
Ranko Mrvaljević breeds about 140 goats near Nikšić and believes that all Balkan goats should receive a premium, because there are very few of them left in Montenegro.
The premium in Croatia is 400 euros per bushel, and in Montenegro only 150
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural Budget for 2023 allocated a total of 100.000 euros for genetic resources in agriculture, which includes autochthonous breeds in animal husbandry and crop production. 2022 euros were allocated for the same purposes in 80.000, that is, 60.000 in 2021 and 40.000 in 2020.
"Amounts are not determined by breed or species, but for animal husbandry or plant production, while the Agricultural Budget determines the amount per head depending on the breed. Thus, the payment per bushel in 2020 amounted to 80 euros, while farmers can receive support of 150 euros per bushel this year," they explained.
Predrag Vujnović states that, for example, Croatia allocated a thousand euros per head of bush, until it increased the number of heads. Now, he says, the premium in Croatia is 400 euros per head, and in Montenegro only 150 euros.
"Serbia raised the premium for bulls to 333 euros, with the fact that premiums for beef and calves are paid separately. And we who have open EU funds will not raise premiums", he said and added that premiums have not been increased in the last two years.
He believes that, given that the number of boars in Montenegro is very low, around 100 head and the least of all the surrounding countries, it would be realistic for the premium to be 200 euros per head.
According to data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agency (UNFAO), Serbia has between 2.000 and 3.000 head of wild boar and their number has been growing since 2015.
On the UNFAO website, the bush is described as a small breed of cow, with a disproportionate build:
"Her head is bright, small, rectangular in shape with fine horns, curved upwards. The body is weakly muscular with short, oblique and pointed hips. Milk yield in relation to their body weight and production conditions is satisfactory. It responds very positively to improved conditions of nutrition and care".
Croatia, according to UNFAO data (latest for 2022), has between 3.500-4.000 head of wild boar and their number is also growing. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has 201 wells, according to data from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry.
"The given data refer to the heads that are in the incentive system, i.e. head that the breeders of the mentioned animals reported for financial support, so their number is certainly higher because not all of them apply," the Federal Ministry of Agriculture told CIN-CG, noting that the data does not refer to the Republic of Srpska and the Brčko District.
This year, the Federal Ministry allocated about 165.000 euros for original (indigenous) breeds of animals (domestic bush, domestic donkey, Bosnian mountain horse, Tornjak dog).
The subsidies of the Montenegrin Government for genetic resources for this year have not yet been awarded, because, as explained by the Montenegrin Ministry of Agriculture, the procedure has not yet been completed. Support is provided upon a submitted request with the submitted opinion of an authorized scientific research institution, i.e. the Biotechnical Institute in Podgorica.
Although the subsidies have been increased in recent years, the breeders are not satisfied with the determined amounts, nor with those responsible for it, namely the Biotechnical Institute, which, they say, has been managing genetic resources for years.
They "keep" domestic varieties for 15 years, and the results are never worse
In one of the letters to the Ministry of Agriculture from 2021, which CIN-CG has access to, the NGO "Buša" states that the project to preserve genetic resources has been implemented for 15 years, and the results are worse than at the beginning of the project.
"The irresponsible attitude of the Ministry of Agriculture and the people who led this part led to such a dramatic situation with the autochthonous races in Montenegro. The term 'conserving genetic resources' meant a phrase for some other things, it served to hunt in the dark", said the NGO.
Dean of the Biotechnical Institute, which is in charge of genetic resources Bozidarka Marković she did not want to comment on the allegations of this NGO, but told CIN-CG that she had nothing to do with the allocation of money, "it's all up to the Ministry of Agriculture".
According to Vujnović, NGO "Buša" asked the Ministry for lists of premium winners, because they suspect that they are not distributed fairly, but they did not receive them.
CIN-CG also requested lists based on the Law on Free Access to Information, through the NGO MANS platform, but the Ministry did not respond to the request.
The Ministry emphasizes that agricultural producers, in addition to payment for autochthonous species, as well as all other farmers engaged in animal husbandry, are entitled to the basic premium in animal husbandry, which this year is 85 euros for cattle.
Professor Vladimir Dimitrijević points out that the poor part of the world earns a large part of its income (about 70 percent) through livestock production, which is mainly based on the breeding of autochthonous breeds.
"In such parts of the world, breeding of autochthonous breeds not only provides food, raw materials for clothing, construction, fertilizer, but is also an important part of social and cultural heritage. Also, these autochthonous breeds have greater genetic diversity, which means that these animals are more adaptable to changes in the conditions in which they are kept, climate change, as well as new disease agents that they have not encountered before," said Dimitrijević.
He says that the reasons for the preservation of autochthonous races can be enumerated endlessly.
"Perhaps it is simpler to say that there is not a single reason, be it ethical, social, cultural, commercial, if you want, even religious, that the wealth that indigenous breeds and strains of domestic animals carry in themselves should not be preserved," he says.
According to the data provided by CIN-CG Dimitrijević, there are currently around 1.600 registered breeders of original breeds in Serbia. In addition to the bush, Serbia has 500 to 1.000 Balkan donkeys, 1.000 to 2.000 Balkan goats, 2.000 to 4.000 mangulica (pigs)... Of the sheep, there are eight autochthonous species, and the most numerous are sheep, between 200.000 and 300.000.
According to Dmitrijević, Serbia has allocated a little over a million euros for incentives for this year.
"What must be admitted is that until recently the state did not recognize the problem and did not in any way encourage the preservation of genetic resources, but now there are some developments. Personally, I will hardly be completely satisfied with the measures that are taken to preserve indigenous breeds, which is due to the scope, scope and selectivity, as well as due to the promptness", he said.
Montenegro is obliged to respect international conventions
In September 2007, the international community adopted the Global Action Plan for Animal Genetic Resources, which consists of 23 strategic priorities aimed at combating the reduction of animal genetic diversity and the sustainable use of animal genetic resources.
Montenegro, as a member of the UN and a candidate country for EU membership, is obliged on its territory to implement measures for the preservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in accordance with international conventions and principles, writes the Agrobudget.
Thanks to Saveljić, the donkey is no longer the most endangered
Darko Saveljić says that he started breeding Balkan donkeys 8,5 years ago.
There were a total of 150 donkeys at that time.
"It became one of the most endangered species and on the livestock market a donkey could be bought for 25 euros, and it was only bought by hunters, for hunting dogs. After 8 years, it is no longer the most endangered species," Saveljić points out.
He adds that now, as he was told by the Faculty of Biotechnology, there are a total of 500-600 donkeys in Montenegro.
"It is affirmative that there is an Agricultural Budget and that donkeys entered the protection system five years ago. "For a reproductively mature donkey, the premium was 50 euros, but the question is whether it will be that much this year because a large number of people applied for the premium," said Saveljić.
Bad experiences of farmers from Ulcinj and Nikšić
In a conversation with one of the breeders from Ulcinj, we were told that due to the poor cooperation and unprofessionalism of the people who managed this area until now, he stopped all cooperation and stopped growing bush, according to one of the letters of the NGO Bush to the Ministry.
"The farmer from Nikšić also had a bad approach and a bad experience. The person in charge of genetic resources visited the farm, identified all the cattle that meet the criteria, took the ID card and promised that he would get the premium he deserves. After a few days, she called and said that she had no money for the premium for their farm."
The NGO indicates that it happens that the authorities do not recognize some heads as autochthonous bush, even though they are typical representatives of their breed (one meter tall), while some that are 1,25 meters tall are recognized and awarded premiums.
Bonus video: