Agricultural areas (the census RZS) in 2003 in the southern Banat region occupied 341,477 ha, out of which the individual ownership was of 223,221 ha. They are:

• Arable land - 311,812 ha (individual 220,094 ha or 70.58% of the total arable area)
• Pastures - 25,587 ha (979 ha individual or 49.72% of the total pasture)
• Fish-ponds and gardens - 4,078 ha (individual 251 ha or 6.15% of the total area under fish-ponds and ponds).

Arable areas are 311,812 ha and these are:

1.    fields and gardens (300,239 ha) or 96.29%, on which is in 2003 seeded:

• wheat - on 187,822 ha or 60.24% arable area
• industrial plants - on 77,540 ha or 24.87% arable area
• vegetable plants - to 14,343 ha or 4.60% arable area
• animal fodder - to 11,353 ha or 3.64%

2.    orchards (1969 ha) or 0.63% arable area
3.    vineyards (3,162 ha) or 1.01% obradivih area
4.    meadows (6,442 ha) or 2.07% obradivih area
 

Afforestated area and the average wood mass

In the south Banat district, in 2003, the 332 ha is forested (outside forests there were not any afforestation) 22,715 ha of the total forest covered area. The average wood pulp is a total of 95,315 m2, and 63% is technical tree.

Number and structure of employees

Out of the total employees in the South Banat, in the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management there are 11.6%, 0.13% in the fishery, and in the manufacturing industry 41.9%.

In 2003 in the South Banat i a national income was amounted to 45,223,037 thousand dinars, which is in the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management  8,305,272 thousand dinars (ie participation is 18.36%), in the fishery was 26,746 thousand dinars (participation of 0.06%) and manufacturing industry 27,571,529 thousand dinars (60.97% participation in the total national revenue).

Development potentials

Because of its natural characteristics of soil, climate and water resources, South Banat Region has great potential in the agricultural sector, which is not fully used. With adequate agricultural policy, agriculture can make a significant contribution to the economic development of the country. It employs, directly or indirectly, a large number of people, is involved significantly in the foreign trade, ensure food security for citizens, contributes to rural development and ecological balance.

However, the above indicators show that agriculture, currently, is not able to engage in fair competition with their competitors, especially with the EU, and with countries from the environment due to the following problems:

• Trade in Goods of the inputs for the majority of agricultural products conceal the actual costs and value of products, so that farmers do not have the right information about the prices, but their potential profit spills over to others
• Market does not work in a satisfactory way
• Rural credit market in general, almost does not exist
• Slow privatization, with little foreign investment
• Market infrastructure, institutions and organizations are poorly developed
• The market for loans is limited by defective legislation, and no legal framework
• Weak support from institutions.

SWOT analysis: The market for agricultural products

SWOT analysis: agricultural policy