Due to the absence of a state-level Ministry of Agriculture, BiH has lost over one billion KM

For more than three years, efforts have been made to establish a Ministry of Agriculture at the state level, but the RS entity opposes this.  

Recently, state Prime Minister Denis Zvizdić announced that BiH loses 80 million euros annually, which is about 160 million marks. This is confirmed by organizations such as Green Council, which has long warned about the losing policy from the RS towards farmers. For the period from 2007 to 2014, farmers lost 325 million euros in free (grant) funds, which is about 650 million KM, Patria reports.

For the period from 2014 to 2020, BiH was supposed to receive 870 million marks from the European Union budget through IPA funds.  The authorities in BiH are only required to establish a single state Ministry of Agriculture and a single account into which funds from IPA pre-accession assistance could then be paid. It is believed that agriculture would certainly experience a boom with such development funds.  

New attempts at political deception from the RS

- The Association of Agricultural Producers of Republika Srpska opposes the formation of a Ministry of Agriculture at the BiH level - said today Stojan Marinković, president of this Association. Marinković claims that such a state ministry is also unwanted by numerous associations from the Federation of BiH. 

In both entities, especially the Federation of BiH, citizens eat the most expensive food, which is evidently of questionable quality.

Until recently, farmers jointly sought funds from IPA funds, and among them, Slavko Injić, president of the Association for Rural Development of BiH, was a leading figure. Slavko Injić was once a leader of farmers from the RS.

- The formation of a state Ministry of Agriculture is not our fixed idea but a demand of the European Union - warned Injić.       

Dževad Kovač, owner of the famous goat farm from Mostar and president of the Association „Tor“, says that everyone involved in agriculture wants a ministry at the state level.

Without a state ministry, we cannot move forward

- It seems to me that there is no farmer who would not, even invest their own funds to establish such a ministry. The current fragmentation into entities benefits many who use agriculture for money laundering. We see the point we have reached where money can be obtained at the goodwill of ministers. I sincerely believe that a state Ministry of Agriculture would bring far more order and enable our more serious development - says Kovač.

Husein Selimović, president of the Union of Municipal Associations of Farmers of the Una-Sana Canton (SOUP USK), believes that a ministry at the state level is necessary.

- Nothing further can be done without a state Ministry of Agriculture. Above all, it is necessary that we are the only country without the possibility of using IPA funds. At the next thematic session of the Government of the Federation, we will propose this topic for the agenda - says Husein Selimović.

All leaders of agricultural associations in the Federation of BiH, with whom we spoke, consider the formation of a state Ministry of Agriculture necessary, and most of them consider the statements of Stojan Marinković to be a new political farce from the neighboring entity.