Nihad Fejzić: It is a shame that BiH imports food

Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Sarajevo Dr. Nihad Fejzić told the BiH news agency Patria (NAP) that Bosnia and Herzegovina, solely from the money it spends on importing water and various food products, could achieve enormous economic progress in a short period if that money were directed towards domestic production.

- Our country annually spends more than one billion marks on buying food from outside our borders. Imagine what an investment it would be if that money were directed towards domestic producers – says Dr. Fejzić for NAP.

He explains that Sarajevo, as the largest urban center in BiH, is also the largest consumer of food in the country, but at the same time, there is not a single serious meat producer in the Sarajevo Canton. Our country, he says, imported over 30,000 calves for slaughter and over 1000 containers of frozen meat last year alone.

- It is clear that we in BiH may not be able to produce computers, but we can at least produce food for ourselves – says Fejzić.

He notes that engaging in livestock or agricultural production on a serious scale means that the state must stand behind the producer, helping him if he encounters problems. Without serious incentive measures, says Fejzić, there is no serious production.

- The responsibility for this much extravagance, when it comes to food imports, lies exclusively with the state. No one serious will engage in agricultural and livestock production if the state does not stand behind them – warns Fejzić.