Safe and efficient farming of grains

The Farm Zoran Plavsic (RAF) was founded in 2010. The company is engaged in agricultural production, focusing on the growing of vegetables and cereals. The main products include sunflower seed, wheat and oilseed rape. Generally, the Plavsic family is one of the largest landowners and agricultural producers in Vojvodina.

Being an agricultural produced for more than 10 years, registered under the current name, it is also a family business that stretches back over several generations. RAF sells its produce to the major clients on the local market dealing with cereals.

To enhance its operations, the company invested in new and modern agricultural equipment, for use on company-owned and leased arable land.  The new machine is more efficient, accurately records and records data from up to 30 different seed varieties, monitors yield and moisture and offers one of the largest and quietest operator cabins. Greater fuel efficiency and a reduced carbon footprint round off the advantages of this investment.

The new machine meets the requirements of several EU directives, expanding the company’s export opportunities to EU markets.  The relevant directives include:

• Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 on requirements relating to gaseous and particulate pollutant emission limits and type-approval for internal combustion engines for non-road mobile machinery, amending Regulations (EU) No 1024/2012 and (EU) No 167/2013, and amending and repealing Directive 97/68/EC
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/985 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 as regards environmental and propulsion unit performance requirements for agricultural and forestry vehicles and their engines and repealing Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/96

The company received technical assistance from a team of international and local experts, which is provided free-of-charge under the SME Competitiveness Support Programme in Serbia. After the successful verification of its investment project, the company received a15% grant cash-back, funded by the European Union.