The Faculty of Agriculture completed a “Pedological Study” for the Jadar project in 2020, commissioned by Rio Sava Exploration Ltd., with which a confidentiality agreement was signed, said the dean of the faculty, Dušan Živković, in a statement to FoNet.
In a written statement, Živković responded to comments made by the Minister of Agriculture, Aleksandar Martinović, who mentioned that he recently spoke with the dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, who had “produced an extensive study related to pedology in the Jadar River Valley.”
“The essence is that the mining of jadarite will have no harmful effects on the quality of agricultural land,” Martinović stated, adding that the study is classified, so he could not reveal details, and that the study was requested by a private company.
Dean Živković explained to FoNet that the study was commissioned by Rio Sava Exploration Ltd., while the study was conducted by the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Agriculture and the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad.
He also mentioned that the study was completed back in 2020, and no one showed interest in it until a few months ago.
“Minister Martinović and I discussed several matters a few days ago, including the Pedological Study. I informed him that the Faculty signed a confidentiality agreement with Rio Sava Exploration Ltd., which is why the data cannot be made publicly available. This is likely why the minister used the term ‘classified’,” Živković wrote.
He noted that the study is of a highly specialized nature, focusing on soil sampling and examining its physical and chemical properties.
“The aim of the study was to assess the condition of the soil from a pedological perspective, detailing the identified values of various parameters. The conclusion is brief, outlining the types of soil identified by profiles and their physical and chemical characteristics,” the dean explained.
He also emphasized that the Faculty of Agriculture has been consistently conducting such or similar studies, research, and projects within a very broad expertise, ranging from soil studies to economic issues, for 105 years.
“The dean, although a responsible individual, is neither competent nor able to assess and comment on every study, nor would that be responsible. I believe that specific and professional issues and topics should be discussed with experts and professionals, such as the research leaders or teams,” Živković stated.
Source : FoNet
