Structural Changes in Agriculture: Implications for the Economy of the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

Agriculture of the Republic of Serbia plays an important role in the national economy, making it significantly different from agriculture of developed countries. Its contribution to the national economy is reflected in a still significant share in the gross domestic product, total employment, and trade balance. Despite the insufficient utilization level of available natural resources, agriculture in Serbia is a backbone of the economic development of rural areas. The research goal of the paper is to examine structural changes in Serbian agriculture in the following aspects: changes in the employment structure, plant and animal production, as well as a change in the share of agriculture in the gross domestic product and trade balance of Serbia. The analysis has been carried out in the period from 2002 to 2017 based on the data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Research results show that the Serbian agriculture has suffered significant changes in the analysed areas, resulting in its decreasing share in the overall employment and gross domestic product, but also in the slight increase of its share in the value of exports and imports.