On October 20, in Bujanovac, USAID’s Economic Security Program will sign a grant agreement with the Presevo and Bujanovac Development Agency (PBDA) on a PBDA-led project to help businesses in Serbia to get their products onto the market in Kosovo by participating at the 9th International Agriculture and Drinks Fair ‘AGROKOS & DRINKS 2009’ being held in Pristina, on 21-24 October.

Michael Pillsbury, USAID’s Economic Security Program Director, and Armend Aliu, Director of PBDA, will sign the grant agreement and address the audience in attendance. Alexander Iljenko, USAID Vranje Field Office Manager, will also give remarks at the event.  

 

USAID’s Economic Security Program will provide $26,000 worth of financial and technical assistance to eight small and medium-sized agricultural and food processing businesses from South Serbia and Sandžak to jointly exhibit at the fair in Pristina. On this occasion, PBDA will sign separate agreements with eight companies that will attend the fair. These companies are: Moravka (food producer from Leskovac), Doda (dairy from Presevo), Fontana (dairy from Presevo), Nutriko (food producer from Vranje), Velickovic (dairy from Surdulica), Fluidi (drinks and beverage producer from Presevo), Turkovic (food producer from Sjenica) and Bivoda (mineral water producer from Bujanovac). These businesses have all benefited from USAID organized trainings in marketing, sales and finance that served to prepare these companies for the upcoming fair.

 

Due to a limited number of customers in local markets, most successful SMEs need to expand to new markets in order to achieve further growth. USAID’s Economic Security Program helps businesses grow by expanding to new markets and by connecting them with new buyers for their goods and services. The fair will provide companies an opportunity to advertise their companies, showcase their products and create new market linkages. Over the past two years, the Economic Security Program has supported over 150 businesses’ attendance at 10 different trade fairs both in Serbia and throughout the region, helping them achieve over $6 million in new sales.

USAID’s Economic Security program works to promote economic growth in underdeveloped municipalities in southern and southwestern Serbia by working with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) helping them to become more competitive in their current market and expand into new markets.