Strategy for agriculture and rural development of the Osmaci Municipality 2023-2027.

This Strategy for agriculture and rural development of the Osmaci Municipality for the planned period from the year 2023 until the year 2027 establishes the following vision: “Osmaci, a place of sustainable rural development and healthy living in which there is a strong partnership between citizens and municipal administration”. This text emphasizes the commitment to the sustainability of development, which is aligned with other development priorities of the community, but also with the vision of development at the republic and state level. The emphasis is on the orientation towards rural development, that is, looking at rural resources in a multifunctional integrated manner, without highlighting only one sector, that is agriculture as a source of income and jobs in rural areas, which it certainly would not be acceptable option for young people in the countryside. Finally, family entrepreneurship stands out as a way mobilization of unused resources, including human resources, because only through creation of opportunity for employment and self-employment in the area of the municipality, farm and beyond, could retain young people and change the demographic picture.
Main Objectives are listed as follows: 1. Improve the competitiveness of agricultural production within selected value chains; 2. Improve quality of life in rural areas; 3. Responsible management of natural resources and territorial capital in rural areas. In accordance with the current green agenda of the European Union, which has also been transferred to the Western Balkans, and in accordance with the current state of environmental protection in the municipality, in accordance with climate changes that impose new conditions for agricultural and other economic development activities in rural areas, is the responsibility of all actors in the realization of this strategic documents to take the mentioned issues into account and to devise mechanisms in order to comply with minimum requirements for environmental protection during the realization of each individual measure.
In addition to the strategic goals described above, this text takes into account the so-called cross-cutting objectives that are relevant to each measure and must be taken into account when developing a model for the implementation of planned activities. Those cross-purposes are related to the: gender equality, that is, improving the position of women in the countryside; the fight against poverty, then issues of demographic revitalization of rural areas and support for young people, and issues concerning environmental protection and mitigating the consequences of climate change.
This text further lists specific priority objectives: Priority 1.1. Increasing the volume and productivity of agricultural production; and Priority 1.2. Development of the value chain and improvement of product quality. Priority 2.1. Support for the diversification of economic activities in rural areas; Priority 2.2. Improvement of rural infrastructure and availability; and Priority 3.1. Protection of natural resources (which includes Measure 3.1.1. Soil protection from various forms of degradation, Measure 3.1.2. Activating the agricultural land market, Measure 3.1.3. Agricultural waste management, Measure 3.1.4. Support for organic production, Measure 3.1.5. Identification and protection of plant and genetic resources).