Our success story Predrag Jakić - "Challenging and hard day on the farm with 80 head of cattle"

Farmer Predrag Jakić from Šipačno, near Nikšić is one of our successful IPARD support recipients, and his story begins almost 15 years ago, when he applied for grants through the IPARD like 1 project with a few cattle heads and was paid the support amount of around EUR 7,159.66 for mechanization. Also, he was supported through the MIDAS project for mechanization and was paid EUR 19,960 in support.

Mr. Jakić expanded his production, so that today his farm has over eighty head of cattle and produces close to seven hundred liters of milk per day. This was not an easy path, and it required a lot of work and effort, but thanks to the efforts of all family members, it manages to maintain successful milk production despite the difficulties faced by the dairy sector.

As our interlocutor emphasizes, in order to have enough fodder for such a farm, domestic production must also be increased, so Jakići sowed ten hectares of grain and bought machines for vacuuming fodder and roller balers. There is always work to be done on a farm like this, and in order for the coming year to be successful, you need to prepare for spring, because in animal husbandry it is crucial to produce enough fodder.

It is not easy because often beginner and young farmers who are just starting out do not have enough of their own resources, so any support in order to maintain livestock production is a windfall to the producers.

"So far, we have applied to three IPARD public calls. For two within the scope of Measure 1 for primary production, we received support for the construction of a stable and work on the ash pit, as well as a grid tread, but also for the purchase of a cow drinking trough, cow stalls and a milking pipe. While through the fourth call for Measure 1, we received support for a tractor, a baler, a roller press and a front tractor loader," said Jakić. With the help of these funds, cattle breeding processes have been improved on the household, which will enable more efficient and easier work, as well as greater competitiveness on the market.

As Mr. Jakić pointed out, he also applied for the fifth public call for Measure 1 for mechanization and equipment in the desire to improve his farm, aware that new mechanization greatly shortens the number of steps in the production process and reduces the need to hire additional labor.

Jakić is the father of four children who, in addition to his wife, are involved in the maintenance of such a valuable farm. "The family is the backbone of agriculture, years of effort and work were invested in my farm, but in the end it paid off and we plan to continue developing our production. I would invite farmers involved in this production to take advantage of the opportunities of European funds, which, in addition to providing generous support, enable compliance with certain standards in terms of hygiene, which are important for milk production."