CCIS: Slow issuance of meat import permits jeopardizing production

Companies from the Serbian meat processing industry sector have requested urgent intervention from the relevant Ministry and acceleration of procedures for the import of frozen pork, so that the processing industry can continue to operate smoothly, the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (CCIS) announced.

The President of the CCIS, Marko Cadez, at a meeting with representatives of the meat industry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, said that urgent measures were necessary in line with the real needs of the industry, because otherwise, both production and supply to the domestic market could be jeopardized, as well as the stability of exports, which are important for the entire agricultural and industrial sector of Serbia.

Representatives of companies from the meat-packing and processing industry sector have requested predictability when it comes to approving quantities for the import of packaged pork, which, as they pointed out, is not in sufficient supply on the domestic market.

Imports, as stated at the meeting, are necessary to preserve the continuity of production and fulfill contractual obligations towards domestic and foreign buyers.

Representatives of the Ministry announced that the analysis of the market situation would be completed by the end of the week and that it was necessary to establish a balance in order to preserve domestic primary producers.

A new Regulation on the Declaration of Meat and Meat Products is also planned, according to which only meat that is produced in Serbia, from slaughterhouse to product, will have the status of “domestic.”

The Chamber of Commerce of Serbia previously launched an initiative to issue import permits for a period of six months, but this practice has not yet fully taken root.

Privredna komora Srbije

Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede Republike Srbije

Chamber of Commerce of Serbia

CCIS

Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Water Management

Marko Čadež