Serbia

Serbia has neither clear rules of the game nor a development strategy for the agricultural sector, which is why the government confuses itself with Gulf State investors in secret meetings and makes real deals under the grain.

The agricultural company Al Ravafed Serbia, a majority-owned company of the same name from the United Arab Emirates, operated 3,500 ha in Karadjordjevo in 2018 with a loss of more than two million euros

Elite Agro LLC, registered in Abu Dhabi, recently acquired the 100% ownership in Al Rawafed Holding, thus also becoming the owner of 12,000 hectares of arable land in Serbia and one of the largest landowners in the country.

Abu Dhabi-based Elite Agro LLC, a cereal-producing company, recently acquired 100 percent ownership of AL Rawafed Holding, making the Arab company the owner of 12,000 hectares of arable land in Serbia and joining the group of leading domestic landowners.

Serbian farmlands that were recently cultivated, used and improved by 80 farming families are now being leased to UAE-based companies.

Abu Dhabi-based Al Dahra Holding said on Monday it will invest a further $500m in various sectors in the Romanian market after acquiring the largest farm producer there.

Un protocole d'entente signé avec Mountain Blue Orchards (Australie) et Driscoll's créé une nouvelle opportunité pour Elite Agro de cultiver des baies toute l'année en Serbie et en Mauritanie pour les marchés du CCG (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Arabie Saoudite, Emirats Arabes Unis).

The government said it wants to protect local farmers and prevent foreigners from taking over natural resources.

German meat company Tönnies has applied to the Serbian authorities to secure more than 100 hectares of available land in five municipalities to set up pig farms.

Al Dahra plans to allocate millions of dollars this year to improve food safety. In Serbia alone they want to buy as many as 20,000 hectares of land.

Iran has launched agricultural cultivation in Kazakhstan, marking its first farmland investment overseas as the Middle Eastern country seeks to secure food supplies amid a lingering drought.

The law also intends to allow major investors to lease up to 30 percent of the state-owned farmland.