Poverty is growing in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is estimated that around 19,000 people come for a meal in public kitchens every day. Salaries in our country are the lowest in the region. the industry is dying, and unemployment is rising again. Food prices in BiH threaten the standard of most citizens, and the consumer basket has long exceeded monthly income. And while the election campaign is in full swing, and the race for the highest paid profession in our country, citizens’ wallets are getting thinner, and the “new normal” is on the tables – yesterday’s bread and food before the expiration date.
Bread “from yesterday”, which fails to sell, has become a daily choice for many. Although this phenomenon is not new, consumer associations say that it has recently gained momentum. And not only stale bread is bought.
JOVAN VASILIĆ, Consumer Association “Zvono” Bijeljina
“They are turning to buying some products that are about to expire, at the promotions lately in markets you have a much larger number of promotions on food and food products, which most likely means that the fact that sales have fallen, people don’t have the money to buy like they used to.”
Citizens manage as they know how. They say that most of what they earn each month is spent on food.
And when even such a calculation is not enough, any help comes in handy. Some bakers in Bijeljina, in addition to selling bread from the previous day, give what is left before closing for free to those who need it most.
NJEGOSLAV ZAGORAC, owner of the bakery chain
“There were families who came not necessarily today from yesterday, we gave them at 11 to come and take it. We have a big problem with bread from yesterday, which is very usable, we give it to those who want it and those who don’t, people buy it, but in general a lot of bread is thrown away even though there are people who don’t have it.”
In a sea of ever-higher prices, one piece of news for buyers is good for now. In the near future, there will be no new increase in the price of bread.
RADENKO PELEMIŠ, president of the Association of Bakers of the Bijeljina region
“The price of fuel is jumping, but we are of the opinion that there is no need to rush, we will wait for the price of bakery products and bread and there will be no price increase in the near future”.
Even without the announced price increases this fall, Bosnia and Herzegovina already belongs to the group of countries with the lowest living standards in Europe. According to data from the World Bank, the gross domestic product per capita in BiH is one third of the European average.
