Animal husbandry in Serbia is facing a severe crisis, with dwindling cattle numbers and economic challenges threatening the sector’s survival. The current state of the industry starkly contrasts with government claims of economic prosperity, echoing a post-World War II scenario rather than a period of growth.
In Vojvoda Stepa, near Nova Crnja, local farmer Saša Tomas reflects on the dramatic decline in cattle. Once, every household in his village had cows, but now only four herds remain. Tomas has cut back from eleven bulls to five due to economic pressures. He cites high costs for calves and falling prices for bulls, alongside drought-induced shortages in feed like alfalfa.
The situation is similarly dire for dairy farmers. While some improvements in subsidies have been made, dairy farmers still face stagnating milk prices and challenges in meeting fuel premium requirements. Nenad from Sečnje, who inherited 20 acres for cattle farming, has reduced his herd from twenty to six due to the high costs and low milk prices, leaving him and his family struggling financially.
Agroanalyst Branislav Gulan highlights the grim statistics: Serbia’s annual milk production has plummeted from 1.4 billion liters a decade ago to a current figure derived from approximately 150,000 dairy cows, down from 472,000. The official count of dairy cows is disputed, with farmers suggesting it is closer to 80,000 less than reported. Serbia’s total cattle population stands at around 725,000, but the actual number in stables is likely less than 400,000. Milk consumption per capita has dropped significantly, and cheese production has also declined.
Imports have surged, with Serbia spending $600 million last year on meat, milk, and processed products, a figure that exceeded $660 million by mid-2024. The country is also importing pigs and piglets in large numbers, while domestic production has drastically fallen. For example, Serbia has only 0.3 pigs per hectare of arable land, a ratio typical of underdeveloped countries.
Efforts to address the crisis, including significant subsidies, have not yielded substantial results. Gulan criticizes past government allocations—54 billion dinars (460 million euros) in 2016—to livestock farmers and rural development, noting that the funds did not produce the intended outcomes and are believed to have been mismanaged.
Overall, Serbia’s animal husbandry faces an urgent need for effective intervention and support to reverse the decline and stabilize the sector.
