At the recent session of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture held at the end of September 2024, Serbia was identified as a nation facing a critical need to restore its food sovereignty. The country currently relies heavily on imports to meet its food demands, including significant quantities of pork, beef, fish, milk and processed products.
Agricultural analyst Branislav Gulan highlighted the troubling reality: Serbia must import meat to sustain its population. In 2023, the country spent around 600 million euros on food imports, primarily for pork, beef, milk, milk powder, cheese and processed foods. The figures are staggering: approximately 30,000 tons of lower-grade pork, 300,000 pigs for slaughter, and 500,000 piglets were imported. Gulan pointed out that this influx cannot reverse decades of decline in the livestock sector, which has seen its numbers dwindle significantly. Currently, only 2.25 million pigs are raised in Serbia, with production levels plummeting by 250,000 tons compared to three and a half decades ago.
“Over the past decade, agricultural growth has been a mere 1.7 percent,” Gulan stated. He criticized the Agrarian Strategy, labeling it as unrealistic and unachievable. “Instead of growth, we have experienced a decline in production.”
To align with EU standards in production and consumption, Serbia would need more than fifty years of development. Recent data reveals that about 725,000 cattle are raised in Serbia during favorable years, although many farmers believe this figure is currently overstated. Cattle breeding is predominantly managed by small family farms, which represent over 90 percent of the cattle population, while larger, higher-quality cattle come from agro-industrial enterprises.
Cattle are primarily raised in the regions of Šumadija and Western Serbia, which account for approximately 45 percent of the total herd, with Vojvodina contributing 28 percent. The Zlatibor district, including municipalities like Arilje and Užice, holds about 10 percent of the total cattle count.
Declining meat production and consumption
Beef production in Serbia ranges from 73,000 to 86,000 tons annually, averaging about 10 kilograms per person. In contrast, the consumption of beef has dropped to only 3.1 to 3.5 kilograms per inhabitant, a stark decline from the 120,000 tons produced a decade ago. Serbia now contributes less than one percent to total European meat production, with beef ranked third behind pork and chicken. The average slaughter weight of cattle is relatively low, between 450 and 480 kilograms, and concerningly, about 30 percent of slaughtered cattle are calves.
The livestock sector is experiencing a serious crisis, exacerbated by a shortage of animals and an unstable market. Despite emerging export opportunities, state measures have fallen short, prompting livestock farmers to organize and propose recovery plans for the industry.
Gulan notes that as a consequence of poor strategies and political decisions, around 200,000 livestock stalls in Serbia remain empty. The country’s beef production is almost 59 percent lower than the EU average, with Poland and Hungary leading in per capita production.
Economic factors behind declining consumption
Pork, once a staple in Serbian diets, is now becoming increasingly scarce. Current statistics indicate that the average Serbian consumes only 15 kilograms of pork annually, down from 18 kilograms a few years ago, a decline viewed as a sign of rising poverty. Conversely, poultry consumption is on the rise, with the average person now consuming 18 kilograms of chicken per year. Domestic pork production barely exceeds 200,000 tons, leading to a growing dependence on imports.
In terms of poultry, Serbia produces around 125,000 tons, which meets current consumption demands. Meanwhile, beef production stands at 86,000 tons, but the average person consumes just 3.5 kilograms.
Fish consumption in Serbia relies heavily on imports, with the average person eating about 3.1 kilograms annually, while the country requires around 50,000 tons. Domestic production covers only a third of this need, leading to the import of the remaining 35,000 tons.
In total, Serbians consume about 38 kilograms of meat per person annually, significantly down from 65 kilograms in 1991, when the country produced around 650,000 tons of meat.
The challenge of low wages
Branislav Gulan emphasizes that Serbia’s agricultural productivity is alarmingly low, compounded by the fact that citizens spend a high percentage of their income on food—between 42 and 48 percent, the highest rate in Europe. This situation reflects both the struggles within domestic agriculture and the broader economic challenges facing the nation.
The disparity is clear when comparing Serbian consumption with EU averages. For instance, while Serbians consume 15 kilograms of pork annually, the EU average is 32 kilograms. In the case of beef, the contrast is even starker: Serbians consume less than four kilograms, compared to 15 kilograms in the EU. While poultry consumption is relatively close—18 kilograms in Serbia versus 21.6 kilograms in the EU—the gap widens significantly in dairy products, where the average Serbian consumes about 180 liters per year, compared to 300 liters in the EU.
In summary, Gulan’s analysis paints a concerning picture of Serbia’s agricultural landscape, highlighting the urgent need for strategic reforms to restore the country’s food sovereignty and boost production capabilities.
