The President of the Coordination Board of Poultry Farmers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Edin Jabandzic, warned that BiH producers of industrial eggs and chicken meat and processed products from March 31,
Namely, according to the Action Plan from May 2019, the Veterinary Office of BiH, which operates within the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, is obliged to ensure that once a year testing of poultry in BiH for avian influenza, and to EU FVO notification test findings.
“The Veterinary Office of BiH identified the Veterinary Faculty in Sarajevo, the Veterinary Institute of Republika Srpska and the Veterinary Institute in Bihac as institutions certified for testing, but did not agree on the conditions under which such testing would be conducted, and there was a stalemate,” Jabandzic said.
The BiH Veterinary Office has twice asked the EU FVO to postpone testing until the issue is resolved. The EU FVO has given its approval twice, but March 31,
The cessation of exports to the EU would further complicate the functioning of the poultry sector, which is already severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Also, from January 1, 2021, in accordance with the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU, BH market is fully open to poultry products from the EU, which will make the competition on the local market even greater.
“It would be a great pity if everyone our efforts, and the efforts of our international partners, now failed. The poultry sector employs 20,000 people, and their livelihood could soon become questionable, “Jabandzic said.
