The Regional Development Agency for Bjelasica, Komovi and Prokletije is implementing the project “Support for agricultural practices aimed at the conservation and protection of biodiversity,” which lasts until October 14, 2025.
The project is being implemented thanks to funds obtained through a public call issued by the Eco-Fund in December 2024. The public call covered three support measures: the conservation of endangered breeds and varieties of domestic animals and plants, the conservation of biodiversity and the environment on permanent grasslands and arable land, and the preservation of landscape features (stone terraces – dry stone walls and hedges).
Through the public call, the Regional Development Agency for Bjelasica, Komovi and Prokletije applied for a total of 53 beneficiaries from the territory of all of Montenegro, of which 52 raise autochthonous breeds of domestic animals, while one beneficiary participates in measures related to the conservation of autochthonous plant varieties and the establishment of field strips and grass strips.
Regarding animals, the breeds recognized within the public call are included: among autochthonous sheep, these are žuja (Zeta and Piperi), Pivska pramenka, sora, and ljaba, while among cattle, the autochthonous buša breed is included.
In addition to the basic requirement of owning autochthonous breeds, beneficiaries had to fulfill additional conditions, for which the Regional Development Agency for Bjelasica, Komovi and Prokletije, as the applicant, prepared and submitted the complete documentation.
Since May 2025, representatives of RRA BKP, together with representatives of the Eco-Fund and professors engaged in establishing the baseline state, have visited all beneficiaries and recorded the exact number of heads for each breed. Following this, RRA BKP representatives continued field visits to the beneficiaries, most of whom were located at katuns, where cooperation agreements were signed and biodiversity training sessions were held.
The implementation of this project has provided a significant incentive for farmers to continue preserving autochthonous species characteristic of our area, thereby directly contributing to the preservation of Montenegro’s natural heritage. Subsidies represent an important motivational factor, as they demonstrate the importance of these breeds to beneficiaries who already own them and encourage them to invest additional effort into their conservation.
