Bosnia and Herzegovina dairy producers warn of production collapse

dairy industry crisis milk production import levies Bosnia and Herzegovina agriculture farm closures

Dairy producers in Bosnia and Herzegovina are warning of a potential collapse in domestic milk production due to uncontrolled imports and falling purchase prices. Four major dairy associations, representing nearly 70% of the country's raw milk production, have formally requested urgent protection measures from the Council of Ministers.

Between January and August, the country imported 33.35 million kilograms of milk and dairy products, valued at 159.70 million KM. Producers argue that these imports, combined with rising production costs—which have increased by over 300% compared to 15 years ago—are making farming unsustainable. Current purchase prices for raw milk range between 55 and 80 fenings per liter, a level producers claim does not cover their costs.

The crisis has led to significant farm closures; in Republika Srpska, more than 30 farms have reportedly ceased production and sold off livestock. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, large farms in Živinicama have also shut down. To combat the situation, producers are proposing the introduction of import levies ranging from 0.38 to 3.19 KM per kilogram and the implementation of customs quotas. Farmers have threatened to block border crossings and stop milk tankers if authorities do not implement protective measures.

Entities

Bosnia and Herzegovina · Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina · Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina · Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina · Nedžad Bićo · Republika Srpska

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] Between January and August, 33.35 million kilograms of milk and dairy products worth 159.70 million KM were imported into the country. drukciji.ba · www.vecernji.ba
[● 2 SOURCES] More than 30 farms in Republika Srpska have ceased production and sold off livestock. drukciji.ba · www.vecernji.ba
[● 2 SOURCES] Four dairy associations representing nearly 70% of raw milk production in Bosnia and Herzegovina have requested urgent protection for domestic production. drukciji.ba · www.vecernji.ba
[● 2 SOURCES] Producers have proposed introducing levies ranging from 0.38 to 3.19 KM per kilogram depending on the product. drukciji.ba · www.vecernji.ba
[● 2 SOURCES] The purchase price for a liter of raw milk currently ranges between 55 and 80 fenings. www.rtvslon.ba · tuzlainfo.ba
[● 2 SOURCES] Farmers in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have threatened to block border crossings and stop tankers carrying imported milk if authorities do not act. www.rtvslon.ba · n1info.ba