Dragan Glamočić, Serbia’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, emphasized the critical role of the Veterinary Administration in ensuring both public health and animal well-being, along with food safety. He highlighted that improving the efficiency of the Veterinary Administration would be one of the Ministry’s top priorities moving forward.
During a meeting with the administration’s leadership, including Director Živko Matijević, Glamočić stressed the importance of creating a more reliable and efficient service for farmers, the economy and the citizens of Serbia. He pointed to ongoing issues in pork production and underscored the need to bolster the country’s food sovereignty.
“We imported over 500,000 piglets and more than 50,000 tons of pork last year. It’s better to import piglets and then fatten them in Serbia, utilizing domestic raw materials, capacities, and workforce,” Glamočić stated.
The Minister supported the idea of initiating an expert discussion on the possibility of importing piglets, particularly from Denmark, as this has traditionally been the source for a majority of piglets imported into Serbia.
He also noted the ongoing outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Hungary and Slovakia, emphasizing that decisions regarding imports must be guided by expert risk assessments and the practices of neighboring countries.
“It’s easy to ban imports, but the economy must continue to function. The state must respond, just like we did during the coronavirus pandemic,” Glamočić remarked.
One of the Minister’s key priorities is improving the labeling of animal-based products. He called attention to issues such as products labeled as cheese when they contain palm oil and stressed the need for labels to be clear, visible, and accurate, ensuring consumers aren’t misled.
“Citizens need to know exactly what they’re buying—whether it’s fresh, domestic produce or imported frozen meat. It’s unacceptable for meat that’s cut abroad and several days old to be labeled as fresh in retail stores,” he emphasized.
Glamočić added that these issues would be addressed in collaboration with other ministries, particularly the Ministry of Trade.
The Minister also emphasized that Serbia cannot impose import bans without solid justification, as the country is a significant exporter of agricultural products and must consider potential reciprocal measures. Instead, he suggested strengthening controls and improving the quality of imported food to meet acceptable standards.
He called for an urgent meeting of the crisis headquarters for foot-and-mouth disease and a detailed report on all measures taken thus far. Glamočić expressed frustration that nearly a month had passed without significant progress, stating, “The Veterinary Administration must take full responsibility.”
Finally, he emphasized the need for urgent changes in the organization of the Veterinary Administration, particularly in the process of issuing import permits and in communication with the agricultural sector and producers.
