Croatia

Agricultural Pollution Control Project

first two years

Hrvoje Horvat
Project coordinator
 Project background
Global context

The Black Sea - significant environmental damage from agriculture

pollution;

60% of the total dissolved nitrogen and phosphorous flowing into the Black
Sea come from the Danube river basin;

The Danube River basin drain nearly half of Croatia’s agricultural land
 Project background
Croatian agriculture

56 000 km² of land area

63% of land area is avaliable agricultural land – 0,72 ha per capita

44% of rural population

4 % percent of total population – agricultural producers
 Project background
Croatian agriculture

Approx. 1,000,000 ha in production

Average farm size below 5 ha

About 70% of the arable area – grain production

Cattle production - 40% share in total production
 Project background
Good agriculture praxis in Croatia

Agriculture extension institute founded in 1997

No legislation regarding GAP

Small number of households/farms familiar with GAP
procedures – no subsidies for environment friendly farming
 Project background
Nitrogen pollution

Heavy use of fertilizers

Lack of soil analisis and precise nutrient planing

Average anual consumption of fertilizers 58% higher than EU-15

Level of nitrogen exceeded by approx 90 kg N/ha of UAA
 Project background
Water pollution

Eutrophication processes in most Croatia lakes and canals

The nitrogen content of Danube basin rivers is above the
maximum allowed content (MAC);

Between 2000-2006, one out of every three samples
analyzed from private water wells exceeded the MAC for
nitrates.
 Croatia
APCP

Global objective National objectives

• increase the use of

To reduce the discharge
environmentaly friendly
of nutrients
agriculture practices
into Danube river basin
• to comply with EU legislation
 Key indicators include:

At least 40% of the farming population in the project areas adopting

preventive and remedial measures to reduce nutrient discharges;

At least a 10% reduction in discharge of nutrients into surface and

groundwater in the three project regions;

Increased national awareness of linkages between local actions and

impact on water nutrient load.
Project components:
Mitigating nutrient loads to water bodies
from point-source pollution:

Nitrates Mitigation Investment Fund

• US$2.66 million under the Nitrates Mitigation Investment Fund;

• Finance grants for 75 percent of manure storage cost in Osiječko-
Baranjska and Vukovarsko-Srijemska counties,

Support for Water & Soil Monitoring and Impact Analysis:

• Install piezometers to monitor water quality outflow on farms with project

financed manure management;
• CWA will monitor these piezometers as part of its national groundwater
monitoring program;
Promotion of agri environment
measures

Dissemination of Code of Good Ag. Practice:

• distribution of the learning material
• workshops, seminars

CGAP Training and Demonstration Program:

• project staff in each of the 3 CAEI regional offices to support
grant applications, promote nutrient management planning and
demonstrate cover crop technology

Applied Research Program

• trial program to develop fertilizer response curves for the three
most economically important crop types in each of the project
counties.
 Public awareness

Public Awareness:
• workshops, field days, study visits, training & publication to raise
awareness of project benefit.

Website:
• develop and maintain CAEI website to promote project and nitrate
management technologies.

Knowledge Sharing
• participation in international workshops & conferences
 Project management

APCP Project Management Unit (PIU) within the Agricultural Acquis

Cohesion Project;

Project M&E

Education of the project stuff

 Operational start of the project
September, 2008.

Completion of the team and project advisors

ended by May 2009.

16 months of continuous team work

Component 1

• Prepared Investment fund procedures – harmonised with EU funds

legislation
• Investment fund announced in public by February 2010
• 7 farmers applications received
• Three aplications approved – one manure platform finished
• 30 farmers in final stage of preparation for the funds
• Croatian waters – technical procedures for water analisys adopted
• Water laboratory advisor engaged
• Piezometer wells instalation firm contracted – total of 90 piezometers and
lyzimeters
Component 2

• Established program of day-to-day informative visits to producers – more

than 1200 so far
• Contracted 87 farmers with more than 700 ha of GAP demonstration plots
• Aplied research program - established cooperation with Zagreb and Osijek
Agronomy faculty – Fertilizer response research on each project county
Component 3: Public awareness

• APCP web site published in the beginning of 2009.

• Organised more than 70 workshops and seminars – part of them in
cooperation with local communities
• Continuous appearance on local and national media – radio, TV and
newspapers – two times on the national agriculure TV special
• Printed and distributed 85 000 CGAP broshure – to all registered producers
• Designed and printed 10 sorts of educational broshures – 60 000 pieces
• Designed and produced 10 sorts of promotional material - 16 000 pieces
Component 3: Project management

• M&E system established by summer of 2009.

• Implemented two surveys - baseline and mid-term M&E survey on more
than 1200 producers
• Three study visits and total of 3 weeks of intense education of the project
team (Extension skills and Nutrient management)
Large agricultural producers – connection with farmers in cooperation
Biogas – promotion within educational material and during seminars

Cooperation with other entities

CROCAN Project
• Monitoring the reduction of soil carbon and nutrient losses in Croatia.

Hrvoje Požar Energy Institute

• Organisation of educational seminars for producers – biogas technology

Varaždin county
• Joint iniciative with Petrijanec municipality to resolve problem of massive
poultry manure pollution
Cooperation with DREPR team

• Two visits to Belgrade and project sites

• Joint study tour to the Nederlands
Thank you !