The First Youth Conference in Agriculture of Republika Srpska will be held from September 18th to 20th in Obudovac, gathering around 250 young agricultural producers and experts in the agricultural sector from all parts of Republika Srpska and beyond, as announced by the organizer “Network of Young Agripreneurs.”
“We aim to promote rural life and agriculture, influence agricultural policy, and improve the position of young people in agriculture,” emphasized representatives from the network.
The event will feature a panel discussion titled “The Village of Republika Srpska – A Desirable Place to Live,” as well as the “Young Producers’ Harvest” Fair. Participants will also visit the Interagro International Agricultural Fair in Bijeljina.
The upcoming three-day event will be held under the motto “We still plow all our fields.”
Petar Nikolić, the founder of the “Network of Young Agripreneurs” and chairman of the conference’s organizing committee, told Srna that this generation of young people will revitalize families and villages, but they need support to do so.
“Working with young people in agriculture, we concluded that the development of sustainable agriculture and vibrant villages, support for youth, and pro-natalist policies must be part of a unified process. We do not need villages without young families, nor agriculture where the land of Republika Srpska is cultivated by multinational companies. This generation of young people will revive families and villages, and for that, we need support, which, thank God, we are increasingly receiving,” said Nikolić.
The network highlighted that they want to address the issues that hold them back and outline the steps they will take in the future to create a better social and business environment in the countryside, especially from the perspective of young people and their families.
The call for participation in the conference is open until August 20th, and the application form can be filled out electronically on the network’s website, www.agripreneur.online.
The organizing committee of the First Youth Conference in Agriculture has also announced a competition to select the best young agripreneur, the best young agripreneuress, the best agricultural cooperative, and the best agribusiness with young leadership, for the “Golden Ear of Republika Srpska” award.
“The purpose of the competition is to promote agriculture and agripreneurship, shape a positive perception of agriculture as an attractive profession, and recognize the key role young agripreneurs play in revitalizing and renewing rural areas of Republika Srpska,” the organizing committee stated.
The award ceremony will be held during the youth conference in agriculture in Obudovac, and the competition is open until August 28th.
The conference is organized by the “Network of Young Agripreneurs” in collaboration with the Agricultural Projects Coordination Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management of Republika Srpska, the Chamber of Commerce of Republika Srpska, the University of Banja Luka, and the Public Institution Center for Socio-Political Research of Srpska, under the auspices of the Office of the President of Republika Srpska.
The “Network of Young Agripreneurs” was registered at the end of 2023 and currently gathers more than 200 members from across Republika Srpska, with the potential to become the largest and most influential association of agricultural producers in the country.
Source: Srna
