Autumn sowing on farmlands across Bosnia and Herzegovina is more expensive this year than in the past, and weather conditions are also working against farmers, making food production increasingly challenging and uncertain. It is estimated that domestic production meets only 20 percent of the country’s food requirements. Why is this percentage so low, and why do imports dominate?
Bosnia and Herzegovina imports nearly 80% of the food it consumes, while the domestic agricultural sector fails to meet market demand across most segments. High production costs, low purchase prices, and a heavy reliance on imports are driving many to abandon farming.
DRAŽEN JOVIĆ, “Semberija” Agricultural Estate, Bijeljina
“As for wheat, we produce only about half of what is needed. This is a major issue, because the food security of the population is more important than any other form of security. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw how supermarket shelves could become completely empty in just a few days.”
According to data from the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina, more than 720 million marks were spent on imports of meat, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, and live animals in the first six months of this year alone. The largest share of these imports consisted of meat, fruit, vegetables, milk, and eggs. JOVAN VASILIĆ, “Zvono” Consumer Association, Bijeljina
“We consistently end up importing food that is nearing the end of its shelf life—as someone remarked the other day—because our legal regulations are not fully harmonized. For instance, regarding frozen meat: in the EU, it can be kept frozen for six months, whereas here, it is allowed for a year.”
To reduce import dependency, we must first determine what we can produce domestically and in what quantities, and then create the conditions for local producers to survive and expand their operations – or so our interviewees believe.
SRETEN VUČKOVIĆ, Department of Agriculture, City of Bijeljina
“We need a comprehensive analysis – covering both Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina – to assess our level of self-sufficiency (or lack thereof). We need to identify which needs we can meet ourselves versus what must be imported, in order to strike a balance. Furthermore, relevant institutions should employ various mechanisms to influence this situation.”
As local producers struggle to survive in the market, import dependency is becoming a matter of economic security.
SANEL HALILBEGOVIĆ, Economist
“The burden of rising prices and costs will inevitably be passed on to the end consumers – I stand by that.”
Ultimately, it is the citizens who pay the highest price for this import dependency. Not only are they facing ever-increasing food costs, but in the event of a major global crisis or market disruption, they could find themselves in a situation where – even at these high prices- food is simply unavailable for purchase, BHRT writes.
