Exports of agri-food products from BiH on foreign markets last year amounted to KM 1.1 billion, while the importance of imports was multiple – as much as 4.9 billion KM.
It is stated in the analysis of the foreign trade of BiH’s agri-food products for 2024. year, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, from which the import rate of export coverage was only 22 percent.
The structure of our exports dominate products such as milk, frozen raspberry, wheat flour, canned products, while processed products such as ketchup, biscuits, etc. less represented.
Unlike exports, imports dominate processed products such as water, beers obtained from malt, cigarettes, soft drinks, beef, then primary products such as sugar for refining, coffee, etc.
“Although both exports and imports growth, the difference in their value of 3.8 billion KM indicates the fact that BiH does not produce enough population and lack enough raw materials for processing,” the BiH Ministry of External Trade and Economic Relations.
While BiH farmers have been growing for their heads for years, even for decades because of unprecediable production, figures show how they are, in fact, a difficult market competition.
“The leading import product is beef fresh or chilled fronts of imports from 154.3 million KM. About 95 percent of the Front or Calemean (Rs.), Germany (12 percent) and Belgium (seven percent). The import of these products is higher for three per cent compared to the previous year, while this difference is significantly higher, by 95 percent, compared to 2020. Godin ‘, allegations from the Ministry.
Meat, however, is not the only problem. Many argue that healthy water is one of our biggest resources, but …
“In the second place, the water that includes mineral waters and carbonated water, with added sugar or flavoring the import value of HK 152.7 million, compared to the previous year,” BiH Ministry of External Trade and Economic Relations.
We import when and collaborate from Hungary (53 percent), Serbia (37 percent) and Croatia, and we give a huge steam and on that paragraph: the IM 118.3 million was 14 percent higher than the previous year.
We import, of course, milk in huge quantities, but also other products such as fruit, vegetables, honey, alcohol, etc.
Stojan Marinkovic, the president of the Association of Agricultural Producers of the Republika Srpska, is recalled that farmers have been warning at the difficult position in which they are located.
“We cannot produce everything in sufficient quantities, but we have a lot of that we are throwing at fair, market prices, so they are forced to import. But if appropriate limiting measures were introduced to the product and types of products, then When we have them, that would stimulate people to produce because they have a guaranteed market. However, it was obviously someone defined to be imported when it comes to agricultural products, “says Marinkovic “Independent newspapers”.
Consumer protection fighters say: “Just because we import so much, we are all expensive.”
“First, we don’t know what we import, secondly, the third, prices are very high and fourth, in this way, consumers are not protected.”
Observing the individual countries of the trade partner, we relish this to the state in the region, when it comes to our export. Namely, 20 percent of the total exports of agri-food products are placed in Croatia, 19 percent to Serbia, 11 percent in Montenegro, eight percent in northern Macedonia, seven percent in Turkey, five percent in Slovenia, etc.
