In Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska, authorities are preparing stricter limits on photovoltaic projects sited on agricultural land. The rapid expansion of solar power has contributed to the conversion of thousands of hectares of farmland. The planned measures would strengthen oversight of land used for solar development.
The entity’s agriculture ministry reports that about 3,064 hectares of agricultural land were reclassified between 2022 and 2024. Solar projects accounted for more than 60% of the affected area. Annual conversions rose from 588 hectares in 2022 to 1,141 hectares in 2023 and 1,335 hectares in 2024.
Planned controls on farmland use
Agriculture Minister Andjelka Kuzmic has called for stronger safeguards for productive land, saying renewable-energy development should not come at the expense of food production. The government intends to amend legislation and introduce additional restrictions. It also plans to review land-use decisions that have already been approved.
One area of concern is the permitting authority held by municipalities. They can currently approve solar installations of up to 150 kW without approval from the entity-level ministry. This makes it more difficult to monitor the cumulative effect on agricultural land.
Agricultural organisations support siting new photovoltaic projects on lower-quality land. Producers have warned that solar plants on fertile farmland can take it out of agricultural use for 25-30 years. They also say restoring the land after projects are decommissioned could involve significant costs.
