Serbia faces food independence risks due to livestock decline

Vladan Bogdanović, dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade, has warned that Serbia is losing its food independence due to a shrinking livestock population. He noted that while the decline in livestock has been a trend for approximately 35 years, it has become significantly more pronounced in the last 14 years.

Bogdanović criticized the current approach to agriculture, stating that development is being hindered by a lack of long-term systemic solutions. He argued that existing subsidies serve a social rather than a developmental purpose, suggesting that agriculture would struggle to exist without them but that they do not foster growth.

The decline is further compounded by the depopulation of rural areas and a significant drop in milk production, with raw milk prices decreasing by approximately 50 percent over the last two years. Bogdanović emphasized that a high economic standard cannot be achieved without a well-developed agricultural sector, particularly livestock, which he described as the most complex branch of agriculture.