Twenty years ago, few would have imagined that the streets here, typically home to exchange offices, pharmacies and casinos, would now be bustling with five pet food stores. However, the pet food industry in Serbia has seen significant growth, not just in retail but also in production, with a substantial portion of goods now exported beyond Serbia’s borders. Economist Miroslav Zdravković highlights the remarkable developments in this sector.
“The global economic crisis has not negatively impacted the export of dog and cat food. On the contrary, exports have surged by 60.6 percent over the past six years, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 8.2 percent. Additionally, the export of food for other pets has risen by 65 percent,” Zdravković notes.
The pet food industry also remained resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic. The global retail value of dog and cat food exports grew from €4.1 billion in 2003 to €21.7 billion in 2022, marking a fivefold increase.
Record Growth “In 2022, global exports of these products saw a record growth rate of 21 percent (with imports increasing by 24.2 percent). Compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019, exports rose by 60 percent,” Zdravković adds.
Data shows that nearly half of all European households have one or more pets. Cats, numbering about 127 million and representing 26 percent, are the most popular pets in Europe, followed by dogs with 104 million. According to the European Association of Pet Food Manufacturers (FEDIAF-2021), 90 million households have pets, and over 10.5 million tons of pet food are sold annually in Europe. Until 2015, Serbia imported more pet food than it exported. However, since 2016, Serbia’s trade surplus in pet food has grown rapidly. In 2022, the value of exports was nearly 2.5 times greater than imports. Serbia exported 64,956 tons of dog and cat food last year, almost 15 times more than in 2003. “In 2023, Serbia’s total export of dog and cat food was worth €207.9 million. Compared to 2022, there was a 21.5 percent increase in quantity and a 43.7 percent increase in value,” explains Jasna Stevanović, senior adviser at the Association for Livestock Breeding and Processing of Livestock Products of the Chamber of Commerce Serbia.
Stevanović highlights that Serbia is a leader in the regional pet food industry, not only due to statistical indicators but also because Serbian pet food was sold in over 40 countries last year. Besides traditional markets in neighboring countries, Serbian products are found in EU countries (including Croatia, Poland, Portugal, France, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Greece, Germany, and the Netherlands), the Russian Federation, Turkey, Middle Eastern countries, and even distant markets such as the USA, Peru, Mexico, Bangladesh, Taiwan and Korea.
In contrast, Serbian apples, a major export product, have half the value of dog and cat food exports.
GMO-Free Products The quality of Serbian animal feed products, including pet food, is emphasized by their GMO-free status. Serbia has 19 approved facilities for exporting these products to the EU, with nine companies actively exporting as of February 2023.
Despite the impressive export figures, some local producers feel the results might be misleading. Predrag Gvozdenović, known for his achievements in breeding Šarplaninac dogs, founded “Premil” doo in 1995, Serbia’s first specialized pet food manufacturer. While “Premil” has made significant strides, Director Vesna Popović acknowledges that the company is small compared to global competitors and faces market stagnation domestically.
Aleksandar Brankov, director and owner of “Vetplanet” from Vršac, exports pet food and supplements to over 30 countries, including some less common destinations like Iran and Saudi Arabia. “Vetplanet” exports 85 percent of its production.
Another notable achievement is “King’s Choice” from Petrovac na Mlavi, which began producing and exporting dog juices last year, marking a new innovation in pet nutrition.
