Do Not Burn Harvest Residues!

The environmental association “Zeleni Sad,” in cooperation with the Ruma Municipality Business Club, organized a Round Table on “Sustainable Management of Harvest Residues” at the premises of the Agricultural Advisory Service Ruma on October 17, 2024. At the round table, a study was presented on the conscious and unintentional burning of crop residues after the harvest of cereals, which causes numerous negative consequences for the environment, human health, and safety. Following a prior survey, the results, SWOT analysis, and recommendations for local authorities and decision-makers were presented.

The survey was conducted as part of the project “Sustainable Management of Harvest Residues to Improve Air Quality and the Environment,” implemented under the Sustainable Local Development Fund. The survey covered 55 farmers in the Ruma municipality, based on which a SWOT analysis was developed along with recommendations for local authorities and decision-makers. The presentation of the results was marked by the presence and active participation of the Association of Professional Firefighters from Novi Sad, Provincial Independent Agricultural Advisor Jovana Milić, the Agricultural Advisory Service Ruma, and farmers.

Following the presentation of the survey results, a discussion began, leading to numerous topics that were not strictly related to land cultivation. Farmers expressed their opinions on input prices, agricultural cooperatives, and the marketing of products in an uncertain and often inaccessible market with non-guaranteed prices.

The research will serve as a basis for further advocacy initiatives, primarily those aimed at amending the part of the Local Action Plan (LAP) in the Ruma local government unit (LGU) related to agricultural policy.