Bosnia, Montenegro criticize wheat ban

Serbian government’s decision to ban wheat and flour export in the next three months has sparked sharp reactions in the neighboring countries. The decision could be discussed at the joint session of the Serbian and the Republic of Srpska (RS) governments today. Bosnia, Montenegro criticize wheat ban The RS and the entire Bosnia-Herzegovina do not have significant stock of wheat which could lead to bread wheat shortages. The Serbian government’s decision has also caused sharp reactions in Montenegro. Montenegrin officials, however, claim that the wheat export ban will not affect the local market. The Serbian government’s decision to prevent wheat shortages in its own country has upset regular importers in the region. “The trickiest situation is in Bosnia-Herzegovina where stocks are only sufficient for a seven-day supply of the market,” Association of Agricultural Producers of the Republic of Srpska President Vladimir Usorac stressed. “There is no wheat at all, in the Commodity Reserves or anywhere else. And that’s our problem and problem of the milling industry, which did not want to buy domestic wheat so we imported Turkish wheat. We should now just wait for bans from Croatia and Hungary, which will lead Bosnia-Herzegovina in a very difficult situation because it will have no bread wheat,” he warned. “The only hope for the citizens are parallel ties and relations between Serbia and the Republic of Srpska and to use those good relations and come to some 20,000 tons of wheat in order to survive,” Usorac pointed out. Montenegro: Violation of CEFTA agreement Although the Serbian government has announced that it only decided to introduce the export ban after consultations with Brussels, Montenegrin Agriculture Minister Tarzan Milosevic says that the Serbian government has violated the CEFTA agreement since it did not consult his country’s government. However, he pointed out that Montenegrin citizens should not worry about shortages and price hikes. “Montenegro has enough wheat and flour for now. Also, from the talks with the people from the milling industry and flour distributers, we will buy sufficient amounts of both wheat and flour that will be quite enough for Montenegro’s needs,” Milosevic stressed. “The price will not be higher than the price of flour and wheat from Serbia and we said earlier that we expect increase in bread price in the beginning of April because it has been conditioned by the current flour prices and other inputs,” the Montenegrin minister explained. Montenegrin wheat mills say that they have wheat for 15 days and mass purchase is only making the situation more difficult. Macedonia, which also imports wheat from Serbia, has assessed that it does not expect any problems with wheat shortages until the next harvest. The Macedonian Commodity Reserves Bureau has already purchased 30,000 tons of wheat and almost 43,000 tons of flour from Serbia.

Bosnia, Montenegro criticize wheat ban

The RS and the entire Bosnia-Herzegovina do not have significant stock of wheat which could lead to bread wheat shortages. The Serbian government’s decision has also caused sharp reactions in Montenegro. Montenegrin officials, however, claim that the wheat export ban will not affect the local market.

The Serbian government’s decision to prevent wheat shortages in its own country has upset regular importers in the region.

“The trickiest situation is in Bosnia-Herzegovina where stocks are only sufficient for a seven-day supply of the market,” Association of Agricultural Producers of the Republic of Srpska President Vladimir Usorac stressed.

“There is no wheat at all, in the Commodity Reserves or anywhere else. And that’s our problem and problem of the milling industry, which did not want to buy domestic wheat so we imported Turkish wheat. We should now just wait for bans from Croatia and Hungary, which will lead Bosnia-Herzegovina in a very difficult situation because it will have no bread wheat,” he warned.

“The only hope for the citizens are parallel ties and relations between Serbia and the Republic of Srpska and to use those good relations and come to some 20,000 tons of wheat in order to survive,” Usorac pointed out.

Montenegro: Violation of CEFTA agreement

Although the Serbian government has announced that it only decided to introduce the export ban after consultations with Brussels, Montenegrin Agriculture Minister Tarzan Milošević says that the Serbian government has violated the CEFTA agreement since it did not consult his country’s government.

However, he pointed out that Montenegrin citizens should not worry about shortages and price hikes.

“Montenegro has enough wheat and flour for now. Also, from the talks with the people from the milling industry and flour distributers, we will buy sufficient amounts of both wheat and flour that will be quite enough for Montenegro’s needs,” Milošević stressed.

“The price will not be higher than the price of flour and wheat from Serbia and we said earlier that we expect increase in bread price in the beginning of April because it has been conditioned by the current flour prices and other inputs,” the Montenegrin minister explained.

Montenegrin wheat mills say that they have wheat for 15 days and mass purchase is only making the situation more difficult.

Macedonia, which also imports wheat from Serbia, has assessed that it does not expect any problems with wheat shortages until the next harvest. The Macedonian Commodity Reserves Bureau has already purchased 30,000 tons of wheat and almost 43,000 tons of flour from Serbia.