Among the biggest challenges of the modern world is how to ensure a sufficient amount of energy and food. When it comes to food production in Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the fastest growing branches is poultry farming. The potentials, as well as the current state in this area, were discussed at the first congress of poultry farmers, which was held in Banja Luka three days ago.
Chicken meat produced in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only agricultural product where there is a surplus. Bosnia and Herzegovina exports about 30 percent of produced chicken meat, and about 20 percent of imported meat enters the domestic market. Nevertheless, a positive balance of about 15 million marks per year.
“Already 5-6 years ago, we reached the capacities we had 20 or so years ago, which shows that we recovered quickly. Now is the time of modernization. To improve this sector of ours, but also to keep people in the countryside – that’s one of the goals we have”, said Edin Jabandžić, president of the Coordinating Board of Poultry Breeders of BiH.
Strong support from domestic institutions is also needed for further development. The demand for chicken meat is high, both on the domestic and foreign markets.
“We must not get into a situation where people who export get into a problem with some bureaucratic solutions or failure to solve certain jobs on time. It is important for us that the institutions serve producers in the RS and FBiH”, said Staša Košarac, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH.
“In the last three years, the increase has been 15-17 percent every year. If we know that our production of this meat is sufficient for the domestic market, this is significant from the aspect that since 2019 we have had modalities that this meat can be exported and is being exported”, adds Savo Minic, Minister of Agriculture of the RS.
However, with the increase in inflation, the price of chicken meat also increased, which the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina really feel. However, poultry farmers say, they cannot influence it because of the prices of animal feed and other costs.
“Objectively, there was a 30-35 percent increase in the price of chicken. Everything else is some speculation that we can talk about very seriously. The price of corn, soybeans and the increase in the price of electricity have led to the prices they are now,” emphasized Jabandžić.
More than 170 farmers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, representatives of institutions, as well as experts in the field of agricultural production participated in the congress of poultry farmers in Banja Luka.
