The role of family farms in rural development of the region

The Region of Western Serbia and Å umadija has favorable conditions for agricultural and rural development due to the fact that it disposes of important resources such as: land, livestock resources, manpower. However, numerous difficulties influenced the development as a result of inherited property structure of farms, social structure of population, position, function and role of agriculture in rural development, economic development, but also in the development of agrar policy itself. Family farms represent the main subjects of agricultural production, other activities and rural development. Potentials of family farms of the region enable the members of farms and households to practice activities other than agricultural production and therefore to influence rural development and development of rural areas. Rural areas of the region with potentials have possibilities to produce more food and develop other production related activities with the scope of enabling sustainable socio-economic rural development, protection of natural resources from pollution, increase of the land fertility and biodiversity preservation. Agriculture has a special place in economic development of the region, especially because it represents an important source of profit and jobs in its numerous branches, and furthermore, it plays the main role in rural development enabling valorization of local resources and development of small and medium business activities in different sectors. Regarding crumbled and weak private sector of agriculture in the context of making conditions for a more balanced development of rural areas, a rational solution is the one that would create possibilities for a family farm to become equal with other economic entities in all aspects, in its status and position in development and economic policies, with the aim of increasing food production and therefore improvement of the development of rural areas and rural development. For this reason, it is important to create conditions for the development of comparative advantages of modern agricultue in rural areas of the region and more ballanced rural development.