Mineral fertilizer imports from Turkey to BiH to begin

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Republic of Turkey has approved the export of 30 thousand tons of mineral fertilizer for agricultural producers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will arrive in our country once the importer from BiH is determined. 

A meeting was held in Sarajevo on Monday between the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Staša Košarac, the Ambassador of Turkey to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sadık Babür Girgin, and the Ministers of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the entities of Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH, Boris Pašalić and Šemsudin Dedić. The topic of the meeting was the export of mineral fertilizer from Turkey to Bosnia and Herzegovina, a topic that Košarac and Girgin had also discussed at the end of February this year.

At a press conference after the meeting, Košarac reminded that there have been disruptions in the supply of fertilizers in the CEFTA and EU markets, which were previously the most accessible.

- Given that Bosnia and Herzegovina has signed a Free Trade Agreement with Turkey, it means that there are no customs barriers or burdens in trade - Košarac reminded.

He said that the approval of mineral fertilizer delivery from Turkey for both BiH entities is a result of an earlier meeting between the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, and the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

- We were officially informed today that it is about 25,000 tons of KAN and 5,000 tons of NPK fertilizers. We were also informed that seven producers in the Republic of Turkey are expecting us to select a producer and start this type of foreign trade activity - said Košarac, adding that this way a framework has been secured to import mineral fertilizer into Bosnia and Herzegovina from Turkey without any customs obligations, given the existing bilateral Free Trade Agreement.

According to Košarac, all other activities will be at the operational level in cooperation with the entity ministries, and there is also a solidarity approach from the entity ministers to ensure the necessary quantity of mineral fertilizer for the Brčko District as well.

When asked by journalists when this delivery is expected to be realized, Košarac answered that after the entity ministries define who is capable and who can be the importer, and inform the state ministry about it, which will then send a letter to the Turkish Embassy, ​​"the job can be completed within 24 hours".

Ambassador Girgin emphasized that technical details regarding the procurement of artificial mineral fertilizer from Turkey were discussed at today's meeting.

- Our two countries are friendly. The need of farmers in Bosnia and Herzegovina for artificial fertilizer is real. We are very happy to be able to facilitate the export of these fertilizers produced in our country. Today, we have conveyed the data and contacts of mineral fertilizer producers in Turkey, and now it is up to the BiH side to decide which producer it will be and to convey that information to us - Girgin stated.

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of RS, Boris Pašalić, said that the entity ministries need to agree on who will be the importer into Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- The suggestion from the Turkish side is to choose one company solely for simpler procedures. If there are fewer entities in that chain, we will get the fertilizer faster, and our goal is for our agricultural producers to have this fertilizer as soon as possible - said Pašalić.

The Federal Minister of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry, Šemsudin Dedić, thanked the Government of the Republic of Turkey and President Erdoğan for the decision to deliver mineral fertilizer to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- Today we received information that seven exporters from the Republic of Turkey have approval to export fertilizer to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, the operational part of the work lies ahead of us so that we can inform farmers in the shortest possible time that sufficient quantities of mineral fertilizers will be available to them during the spring sowing season - Dedić stated.