Serbia’s goal is to achieve six billion dollars of foreign exchange earnings from the export of food by 2015, and 10 billion dollars by 2020, said the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Internal Trade and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić, today, at the opening of the International Food and Drink Expo “FOODREX Culinaria”.

It is essential that we use all available capacities, said Ljajić, noting that Serbia’s edible oil refineries are using 50 percent of their capacity, sugar refineries 25 percent, confectionery industry 40 percent, meat industry 30 percent, and animal feed industries 34 percent of their capacity.

Ljajić said that the given data indicates that foreign investors have room for investment in food production in Serbia, adding that so far investors have invested three billion euros in that area.

It is a little known fact that the UN food agency FAO recognized Serbia as a significant producer, Serbia is second in the world in the production of plums, third in the production of raspberry and cereals, fourth in the production of goose pate, fifth in growing clover, sixth in the production of chicken liver, seventh in the production of beet and ninth in the production of quince and ice cream, said Ljajić.

According to him, the 21st century will be the century of struggle for food, water and energy, and fortunately Serbia is rich in all three resources.