Only a hundred and fifty years ago, most of the population was involved in agriculture in the narrower or broader sense of the word. Even though the share of the active population employed in agriculture is shrinking rapidly, the sector itself is expanding. Farms are being restructured and the land remains cultivated. Agriculture in its broadest meaning, along with forestry, have taken on roles like rural development, conservation of the cultural landscape and heritage, concern for the environment, the generation of bioenergy and industrial raw materials. In this way, all of society remains connected with this interesting and increasingly complex branch of the economy.
Slovenia stands out in the European area due to its natural and historical assets. Slovenian agriculture is just as specific, preserving settlements even in the most remote areas. Farming is not easy in a country where more than three-quarters of its surface area belong to areas with factors that limit farming – either because of the altitude and sloping terrain or Karst features or any other limiting factors – and where more than half the national territory is covered by forests. In spite of this, in the framework of it having joined the European Union Slovenia can boast a success story even in the fields of agriculture and rural development.
Slovenia has managed to bring our farmers into the European Union practically without any distress worth mentioning by means of timely adapting its own agricultural policy to the European measures, supported by Slovenian budget funds and the successful implementation of the latest reforms of the common agricultural policy.
There is also another side to the roughness and diversity of the Slovenian landscape and its climate, as reflected in its agricultural products and food-processing industry. Together, they create almost a unique diverse offer of products in such a small area. This includes olive oil from the sunny Slovenian Istria and pumpkin seed oil from the Slovenian gorice hills and the Pannonian plain. Karst prosciutto is made with the help of the bora, a cold and intense wind, while the Prekmurje ham is cured in the gently undulating Goričko. Zlata Rebula wine matures in the wine cellars of Brda, dark ruby Teran matures in Kras, while the home of the transparent red Cviček is the Dolenjska hills. The skilled hands of cheesemakers can process milk from mountain pastures into quality cheeses, while dairy farmers offer a wide selection of traditional and modern dairy products.
By implementing the Government’s agricultural policy and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food is directing the development of the Slovenian agriculture and food-processing industry in order to boost the competitiveness of the sector, considering the diversity and distinctive features of the rural area and the multipurpose role of agriculture. Based on the experience acquired in the process of adapting to the CAP measures during and after the accession period, we have established regulations from the latest CAP reform and thus set up a reliable financial and legislative framework for the 2007-2013 period for our farmers.
IZTOK JARC, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food |
