Pasture-based cattle farming is the oldest form of livestock breeding, with cattle traditionally used for work, milk, and meat. In recent years, an increasing number of livestock farmers have turned to production systems that rely on grazing. Experts say the problem is that these areas remain legally insufficiently regulated and are frequently occupied illegally, causing pastureland to shrink dramatically.
At Miodrag Lilić’s farm on Stara Planina, there are 120 cows, 50 sows, 20 mares, and a number of smaller livestock. All of the animals graze outdoors throughout the year.
“Without legally leased pastures, raising cows in a cow-calf system makes no sense. When livestock has somewhere to graze, there is no need to buy feed. We never keep our animals confined. In winter, we supplement their feed only when there is snow and temperatures fall below minus five degrees. We have more than 1,000 hectares of fenced meadows and pastures that we use for winter grazing. In summer, we mow those areas,” explained the owner of the “Šilja” farm.
According to him, wolves are a major problem, but so are people who have illegally occupied pastures his farm legally leased from the state 16 years ago and for which he regularly pays rent.
“They forced us off around 500 hectares of our highest-quality pastureland. I’m talking about land we both own and lease. We went to court. We have no security when it comes to keeping our pastures, and without them, there is no way to raise livestock outdoors. In the first year after our pastures were occupied, we lost 38 calves to wolves. The cows had learned where to stay, but after everything changed, they no longer protected their calves,” Lilić said.
Illegal plowing of pastures
Josip Češljar of the Agricultural Advisory Service in Senta, who himself raises around 400 sheep, says illegal occupation of pastures is a nationwide problem.
“Wherever someone obtained land next to a pasture, they took the opportunity to plow part of that pasture in order to expand their arable land. In Banat, pastures are fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-class land on saline soil where almost nothing grows except grass, yet they are still being plowed. I can only imagine what the situation is like in Bačka, where the soil is of much better quality,” he explained.
As a result of plowing, pastureland continues to disappear. Weather conditions over the past several years have also taken their toll.
“The pastures last until early June, and then they look like a savanna. Everything turns yellow. Sheep and cattle still manage to find something to graze. Fortunately, harvest season follows, so we move part of the livestock onto the stubble fields and supplement their feed. If pastures were improved and irrigated, that would be a perfect solution. There is no cheaper feed for ruminants than pasture. Animals spend an average of 210 days grazing. There are no watering facilities on the pastures, so farmers drill wells themselves or haul water in tanks,” Češljar said.
Authorities are currently determining the exact size of pastureland in the area where he lives.
“In Ada, Senta, Čoka, and Kanjiža, there are around 16,500 hectares of pasture that have been returned to villages for use. Čoka and Kanjiža also have state-owned pastures available through public auctions. Over the past decade, we’ve certainly lost around 25 percent of our pastures. Farmers have persistently plowed them up and converted them into arable land,” he explained.
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Serbia has 94,000 fewer hectares of pasture
The Agroprofit Association claims Serbia has lost 94,000 hectares of pasture over the past 10 years.
According to the association’s data, Serbia currently has 185,000 hectares of pastureland. Of that total, 75,000 hectares have been transferred to villages for use. Of the remaining 110,000 hectares, part is leased out, generating approximately €2 million in annual revenue.
“Although many pastures in Vojvodina have ‘disappeared,’ official records still list 113,369 hectares. Of those, only 21,236 hectares have been leased. The remaining land is outside the control of the Agricultural Land Administration, has been transferred to villages, or has no designated manager. According to our calculations, Vojvodina has 91,633 hectares of pasture with no identified user or manager, despite remaining on official records. Between 2014 and 2023, Serbia lost 94,000 hectares of pastureland,” the association stated.
A total of 38,510 hectares of pasture are currently under lease in Serbia, used by 2,304 agricultural holdings. In central Serbia, 16,770 hectares are leased by 688 lessees, averaging 24.37 hectares each, while the average in Vojvodina is 13.45 hectares, which the association says does not reflect the actual situation in the field.
“The average amount of pasture per municipality in Vojvodina is 2,519.31 hectares, while the average amount of infertile land is 3,509.71 hectares. If pasture conditions were fully utilized, every municipality in Vojvodina could support approximately 1,259 head of cattle, or around 56,000 animals in total. However, there are municipalities with fewer than 30 cows in all their villages, while more than 600 settlements across Serbia have no cows at all. When the number of grazing cattle is compared with available pastureland, there is clearly no balance. The largest number of pasture-use agreements—691—was signed in Central Banat, involving 332 lessees,” the association said.
Regulations on pasture use are urgently needed
Association members and livestock farmers are calling for authorities to identify those illegally occupying pastures, restore those areas to their intended purpose, punish offenders, and establish a national Pasture Register.
“The number of entities using pasture under lease agreements shows that many are not livestock owners. Instead, they plow leased pastureland or cut hay and sell it to livestock farmers. Pastures have also become dumping grounds for garbage and wool,” they claim.
They are also proposing the adoption of regulations governing pasture use and maintenance, giving priority to livestock farmers who already rely on them.
“Only owners of livestock registered under a valid HID number and recorded in the Animal Register for at least three years should have the right to use pastures. Leases should be granted for 30 years, with each user entitled to two hectares per livestock unit. In addition, the Agricultural Land Administration should maintain records on pasture quality, grass coverage, tree growth, and forestation of leased pastureland,” they said.
The reasons behind the disappearance of pastures include land conversion, expansion of forested areas and urban development, as well as plowing.
The Ministry of Agriculture explains that land officially classified as pasture also includes areas designated under planning documents for other purposes, such as construction, forestry, and other land uses. According to data from the Republic Geodetic Authority, pastureland has decreased by 29,314 hectares over the past six years, with the primary reason being its conversion into construction land.
“One reason for the disappearance of pastures may be the expansion of forested areas where pastures border forests, particularly in southern and eastern Serbia, as well as urban expansion. There are also cases where pastures have been abandoned because there is insufficient livestock to graze them, as well as cases of illegal plowing. Taking all these factors into account, illegal plowing represents the smallest share of overall pasture loss,” the ministry said.
Inspectors monitor conditions and file charges
Agricultural inspectors conduct field inspections throughout the year, identify irregularities in pasture use, and sanction illegal occupiers.
“In 2026, inspections identified illegal occupation of more than 100 hectares of state-owned pasture through plowing and the construction of cemeteries and buildings in five local government units—Kikinda, Čoka, Kovačica, Sjenica, and Tutin. As a result, inspectors filed six criminal complaints for illegal occupation of land and one misdemeanor complaint for converting state-owned pasture into another type of land use,” ministry officials explained.
Last year, inspectors identified illegal plowing of pastures and unlawful extraction of mineral resources on 70 hectares across 15 local government units—Čoka, Odžaci, Zrenjanin, Sečanj, Žitište, Ljubovija, Sjenica, Nova Crnja, Titel, Novi Pazar, Smederevo, Paraćin, Trstenik, Tutin, and Nova Varoš.
As a result of those violations, inspectors filed seven criminal complaints for illegal occupation of land, along with six misdemeanor complaints related to illegal mineral extraction and the unlawful conversion of state-owned pastureland.
“The law clearly stipulates that pasture may only be converted to another land use under a project for transforming non-arable land into arable land, which may only be prepared by authorized organizations and only when it results in more rational and economically efficient land use. Penalties are prescribed for illegal plowing,” the ministry emphasized.
Most illegally plowed pastures are in Central and North Banat
The highest number of reports of illegally plowed pastures has been recorded in the Central Banat and North Banat districts, particularly in Zrenjanin, Kikinda, and the municipalities of Čoka and Novi Bečej.
“Once illegal plowing is confirmed, in addition to initiating proceedings to assign passive status to the offender—thereby revoking that person’s eligibility for agricultural subsidies and the right to lease state-owned agricultural land—efforts are made to restore the plowed land back into pasture through reclamation. It should be kept in mind that this is a lengthy process, as the grass root system must develop sufficiently to withstand grazing,” ministry officials explained.
The ministry also noted that inspectors often find it difficult to determine exactly when a pasture was illegally plowed, a fact that is crucial because the statute of limitations may prevent misdemeanor proceedings from being initiated.
According to ministry estimates, illegal plowing is a greater problem on state-owned village pastures that were returned to local communities for free livestock grazing than on state-owned pastures managed under the official leasing system.
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Source: RTS; Foto: Pexels