This study proposes a machine learning-driven frameworkfor premium estimation in crop insurance against droughtrisk, integrating climatic and commodity market data. Themethodology combines a Logistic Regression model forpredicting drought probability with an Extreme GradientBoosting model for forecasting commodity prices andcrop yields, using regional datasets from Vojvodina andŠumadija. The results show strong predictive performanceacross regions and metrics. Findings confirm that droughtoccurrence, yield and price volatility are driven by climaticand spatial heterogeneity, underscoring the need forregion-specific premium setting. The study demonstratesthe potential of machine learning techniques to supportmore risk-sensitive and actuarially consistent pricing inagricultural insurance.
This study looks at Serbian agricultural growth fromthe perspective of BRICS integration, analyzingthe advantages and disadvantages of this kind ofinvolvement. With more than 5 million hectares of landused for agriculture and agri-food exports making upmore than 20% of overall exports, Serbia has enormousagricultural potential, but it is still heavily reliant on theEU market. The study examines the extent of Serbia’sagreements on free trade with the BRICS nations, suchas the historic 2023 China-Serbia Free Trade deal and the2021 EAEU deal, and evaluates how these agreementsalter trade flows in important commodities as raspberries,corn, wheat, and cattle. The study generates datacollected from FAOSTAT, the Statistical Office of theRepublic of Serbia, Eurostat, USDA-FAS, and publishedpeer-reviewed articles using desk research technique.Results show that although BRICS markets presentreal opportunities for diversification, major obstaclesstill exist, such as phytosanitary barriers, regulatorydifferences from European Union (EU) logistical andadministrative bottlenecks, and geopolitical disputesresulting from Serbia’s concurrent pursuit of EUmembership. The study comes to the conclusion thatwhile a dual-track approach is workable, its sustainabilitynecessitates focused institutional modernization.
The aim of this paper is to investigate how farm ownersengaged in rural tourism in Serbia perceive financial risks,adopt financial management practices, and evaluate theeffectiveness of those practices in mitigating financialchallenges. Data were collected through a structuredonline questionnaire administered between April and May2026, using a random sampling approach. A total of 230farm owners participated in the research. Data analysiswas conducted using SPSS 26.0, incorporating descriptivestatistics, reliability analysis, and inferential techniques. Aone-way ANOVA was employed to examine differencesacross socio-demographic groups, with Tukey HSD posthoc tests applied to identify specific contrasts. The resultsrevealed that education is a significant determinant offinancial management practices, with higher levels offormal education consistently linked to more advancedand effective approaches. Age demonstrated a nonlinear effect, as middle-aged respondents perceivedfinancial risks more strongly than both younger and oldergroups. In contrast, years of experience in rural tourismdid not significantly influence perceptions of financialmanagement practices, indicating that longevity in thesector alone does not necessarily enhance confidence inrisk mitigation.
Investments in agricultural machinery represent animportant factor in the modernization and increase in theproductivity of agricultural production. However, highinitial investment costs and relatively slow returns oncapital often limit the investment decisions of small andmedium-sized farms, especially in transitional agrarianeconomies. The paper analyzes investment in agriculturalmachinery of a typical agricultural farm that cultivates 20hectares of agricultural land. The analysis was conductedusing investment analysis methods based on discountedcash flows, including net present value (NPV), internal rateof return (IRR), scenario analysis and sensitivity analysis.The results show that the investment without institutionalsupport is not financially justified, while the inclusionof the subsidy significantly improves the economicindicators of the project. The findings contribute to a betterunderstanding of investment decisions in agribusiness andindicate the importance of institutional incentives for themodernization of agricultural production.
Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior and theStimulus-Organism-Response model, the aim of thispaper is to determine the role of the organism (subjectivenorms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudestowards supporting sustainable tourism development) asa mediator in the relationship between stimuli (perceivedempowerment and place attachment) and the response(intention to support sustainable tourism development).The stratified sample included 243 respondents from ruralareas of Southern and Eastern Serbia, who are employedor provide services within the tourism sector. Partial leastsquares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) wasused to test the proposed model and research hypotheses.The obtained results confirmed the existence of positiveand statistically significant mediating roles between theobserved variables. This findings can contribute to a betterunderstanding of the process through which psychologicaland social factors can shape residents’ intentions to supportthe development of sustainable rural tourism.
