Agriculture Forecast-Reporting System in the Cross Border Region

The main project objectives were: 1. To improve the competitiveness of stakeholders in the agriculture sector in the project area in using land as an economic, rural and environmental resource. 2. To establish the innovative concept of integrated agriculture production based on IT forecasting and reporting between agriculture extension service providers and the production sector in the project area. The project was designed in order to develop jointly a forecast-reporting system using a scientific approach in order to provide information to the farmers how to treat and protect their crops. An important group of activities was focused on establishing the forecast-reporting system and included: • Organising a two-day Conference "EU best practice models in forecast-reporting systems"; • Purchasing and installing 20 agriculture weather stations in Serbia; • Purchasing and installing 15 agriculture weather stations in BiH; • Creating and installing forecasting - reporting information system in Užice; • Collecting information and fulfilling existing databases necessary for system functioning. Another group of activities concerned awareness raising throughout the project area: • Creating and implementing awareness raising campaigns. • Inauguration action in all municipalities in the project area. • Organisation of final project conference and evaluation of the project.

The main direct results of the project were as follows: • EU best practice models in forecast-reporting system introduced among project stakeholders. • The system for agriculture reporting and forecasting established. • Agricultural producers' awareness raised for using information from forecast-reporting systems. The project objectives and results were also promoted and disseminated throughout the project area. This is a particularly innovative project with its direct use of science by farmers and joint software that will serve both countries. It was nominated in 2013 for the ‘Sail of Papenburg’ award, an eminent European distinction in the field of cross-border cooperation established by Association of European Border Regions (AEBR). It has considerable potential for multiplier effects both in terms of extension and replication. Extension can be implemented through installing new weather stations that would be linked to the existing server and software. It can even take the form of encouragement among the project target groups to invest in new crops considering a potential for increased yields and reduced costs. Replication to the other regions and areas will be encouraged with the promotion of the benefits obtained from this project.