DEVELOPMENT OF SERBIAN AGRICULTURE THROUGH BRICS INTEGRATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND LIMITATIONS

Branko  Mihailović; Vesna Popović; Gordana Radović

doi:10.59267/ekoPolj2603839M

Authors

Branko Mihailović Scientific Adviser, Institute of Agricultural Economics, Volgina Street no. 15, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2398-6568
Vesna Popović Institute of Agricultural Economics, Volgina Street no. 15, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1018-2461
Gordana Radović Institute of Agricultural Economics, Volgina Street no. 15, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9770-6306

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59267/ekoPolj2603839M

Keywords:

Serbia, agriculture, BRICS, free trade agreements, agri-food exports, EU accession

Abstract

This study looks at Serbian agricultural growth fromthe perspective of BRICS integration, analyzingthe advantages and disadvantages of this kind ofinvolvement. With more than 5 million hectares of landused for agriculture and agri-food exports making upmore than 20% of overall exports, Serbia has enormousagricultural potential, but it is still heavily reliant on theEU market. The study examines the extent of Serbia’sagreements on free trade with the BRICS nations, suchas the historic 2023 China-Serbia Free Trade deal and the2021 EAEU deal, and evaluates how these agreementsalter trade flows in important commodities as raspberries,corn, wheat, and cattle. The study generates datacollected from FAOSTAT, the Statistical Office of theRepublic of Serbia, Eurostat, USDA-FAS, and publishedpeer-reviewed articles using desk research technique.Results show that although BRICS markets presentreal opportunities for diversification, major obstaclesstill exist, such as phytosanitary barriers, regulatorydifferences from European Union (EU) logistical andadministrative bottlenecks, and geopolitical disputesresulting from Serbia’s concurrent pursuit of EUmembership. The study comes to the conclusion thatwhile a dual-track approach is workable, its sustainabilitynecessitates focused institutional modernization.

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