A busy day at the Pavlović Brothers farm near Šamac. No stopping for the machines and people as they run errands vital to the life of the farm and more than 1,700 of its bulls. Živan Pavlović, 20, one of the sons of the farm owner, is behind the wheel of the bull-feeding machine. Farm work is hard, yet Živan enjoys it.

Everyday work on the Pavlović Brothers farm is now greatly assisted with the purchase of new machines through EU4Business Project funded by the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany. With the help of this project, old and worn-out machines are now replaced with the new ones, which has helped modernise the workflow, lower production costs, and improved productivity and quality of work. A total of over BAM 370,000 was invested in new machines, of which BAM 195,000 are grants allocated as a part of EU4Business.

“We could not provide for these machines ourselves as these are very expensive,” told Živan, who has already picked up how to operate the new machines. “I used to drive the old ones, but the difference now is huge. The new machines are safer, with modern equipment, air conditioning, and more comfortable to sit in.”

The project also procured a food-mixing machine with higher workload capacities, allowing for faster feeding of farm animals. “This process used to involve more people and was more dangerous, because the animals would protest if they were not given food simultaneously. With the help of a new machine for collecting and distributing food, handling of this task is simpler and with better quality,” adds Živan.

The project also provided for the purchase of a modern press to improve storage quality of hay, which is of great importance for feeding bulls. “It is much easier to work on a farm now than before. It used to take more time and more people for feeding, preparing and storing hay, collecting and scattering manure. Our work now is easier, faster and simpler,” says Živan.

The farm employs a total of 18, including four who are employed thanks to this investment and the support of EU4Business project. A working day on the farm begins at dawn with individual assignments and all staff sets out to perform their specific task. Members of the Pavlović family join them every day on the farm, shoulder to shoulder, including Ljiljana, Živan’s mother.

“With hard work, anything is possible. We are very dedicated ourselves and we tried to teach our children the importance of work,” proudly explains Ljiljana.

EU4BUSINESS  is European Union’s project that aims to strengthen Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capacity for economic growth and employment by fostering competitiveness and innovation in selected sectors. EU4Business is worth EUR 16.1 million; EUR 15 million is funded by the European Union and EUR 1.1 million by the Federal Republic of Germany. Project is jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), UNDP and International Labor Organisation (ILO). EU4Business is part of the Local Development Strategies – Local Self-Government and Economic Development Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).