Young Livestock Farmer Nebojša Ćupić: Agriculture in Montenegro Pays Off with EU Support

The recent closure of Chapter 11 – Agriculture and Rural Development confirms Montenegro’s progress on its European path, but the concrete effects of this process have been visible on the ground for years. European standards and EU support are contributing to the development of domestic agriculture, and one example is Nebojša Ćupić, owner of Agro Ćupić from Danilovgrad. This young livestock farmer has built a successful agricultural holding through knowledge, hard work, and the support of the European Union.

Two years ago, Nebojša established Agro Ćupić, and today the company successfully operates in both crop production and livestock farming.

"We currently have around 50 cattle, approximately 100 small livestock animals, as well as agricultural machinery for cultivating land, producing crops, and mowing grass. My brother and I have been used to working from an early age, so this does not represent a major burden for us. The most important thing is that a person has the will and determination," says Nebojša.

Explaining their daily routine, he adds:

"Our working day starts at 6 a.m., when we begin milking the cows. Thanks to our machinery, this process takes around two hours. From May until mid-November, we let the livestock graze, and after that we have no major obligations until 6 p.m."

The production process at Agro Ćupić is organised, stable, and fully sustainable from a market perspective, explains the young farmer from Danilovgrad. Although he often hears older generations say that "agriculture is not profitable", Nebojša firmly rejects that perception.

"It is absolutely profitable. There is simply no calculation that says it is not worthwhile. I honestly do not know in which other profession I could earn this much while staying in my own country."

IPARD – A Key Support Mechanism for Modernising Agricultural Equipment

Ćupić is one of the farmers who have benefited from IPARD, the European Union programme that provides financial and technical support to candidate countries such as Montenegro in order to modernise agriculture and rural areas.

Through this programme, farmers can receive support for investments in modern machinery, equipment, agricultural facilities, food processing, or rural tourism development. Beneficiaries are required to finance part of the investment themselves and comply with strict European standards. The main purpose of IPARD is to help align agricultural production with EU requirements and improve the quality of life in rural communities.

"For my first IPARD project, I applied in 2021 for a large tractor with a loader. My business plan was returned eight times because it was not prepared correctly. However, I did not want to give up. In the end, I succeeded, received approval for the project, and purchased the tractor."

After his first successful project, Nebojša continued investing in the modernisation of his farm.

"Immediately after that, I applied for another public call for agricultural machinery and was successful on my first attempt. That was in 2023. I have applied again now because we need a larger tractor, and we will see how it goes," says Nebojša with a smile.

He adds:

"Without this support, it would have been very difficult for us to afford this. We would never have been able to purchase this type of machinery on our own without EU assistance."

Investments such as these are preparing Montenegrin farmers for the EU market, where, after Montenegro becomes a member, they will have access to significantly larger funding opportunities through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which provides billions of euros annually in support to farmers across Europe.

Chapter 11 – Another Step Towards European Standards

Montenegro closed Chapter 11 at the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels on 16 December, and examples such as Ćupić’s demonstrate the readiness of the agricultural sector to meet European requirements.

Closing Chapter 11 means that Montenegro has successfully aligned its legislation, policies, and institutions in the field of agriculture with EU rules. This is particularly important for young people who want to remain in rural areas and develop their businesses. Nebojša is one of them.

"I expect that after Montenegro joins the European Union, everything will become much more modern, faster, and better," he concludes.

This article was taken from the EUforME website – “Young livestock farmer Nebojša Ćupić: Agriculture in Montenegro pays off with EU support”.