Croatia’s self-sufficiency dwindles as agricultural imports surge
- by croatiaweek
- in Business
Rising imports in Croatia
There has been a noticeable decline in local domestic agricultural production in Croatia this year.
According to data from Dragan Kovačević, Vice President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy for Agriculture and Tourism, the first four months of this year have continued the negative trends from previous years.
“Our exports are nearly stagnant, imports have increased by 11 per cent, and the coverage of imports by exports has fallen from last year’s 68 per cent to 62 per cent.
Of particular concern is the structure of foreign trade: 74 per cent of the surplus consists of oilseeds and cereals, while on the other hand, we are importing large quantities of meat, milk, fruit, and vegetables.
Croatia needs a shift in agricultural policy with clear priorities and better-focused support, which requires amendments to the strategic plan of the Common Agricultural Policy,” said Kovačević, as reported by the JaTrgovac portal.
Even Milk is Lacking
According to official data from the Ministry of Agriculture, two years ago we managed to produce 67.8 per cent of the annual meat consumption: 66.8 per cent of beef (compared to 70 per cent the previous year) and 57 per cent of pork (compared to 61 per cent the previous year).
Two years ago, self-sufficiency in eggs was 80 per cent, in milk 53 per cent, in vegetables 47 per cent, and in fruit 39 per cent, according to official figures from the Ministry.
Initial unofficial estimates from experts reveal that the decline continued last year: reportedly, we have only around 50 per cent of domestic pork, less than 50 per cent of milk, less than 45 per cent of vegetables, and around 35 per cent of fruit.
This would mean that we are importing 55 per cent of the required amounts of vegetables and as much as 65 per cent of fruit.
We produce enough for our own needs and for export only in cereals, oilseeds, and animal offal. What is worse, there is no end in sight to the decline, making Croatia the worst in the EU.
