Serbia Considers Tariffs on Import of Fruit and Vegetables in Order to Protect Domestic Producers

In order to help domestic agricultural producers, especially vegetable producers, Serbia is planning to implement levies on the import of fruit and vegetables, Vecernje Novosti reports.

As the daily writes, this means that companies would pay an additional fee on the import of these goods.

It is not known, however, whether the levy would apply to all fruit and vegetables or only those that Serbia produces as well. As Serbian Agriculture Minister Branislav Nedimovic told Vecernje Novosti, the decision has not yet been adopted, but could be in the upcoming period.

In the current situation, Serbian agriculturists, especially vegetable producers, have a lot of trouble selling their seasonal vegetables, the daily reminds.

As the state has closed the green markets, lettuce, zucchinis, radishes and spring onions are not reaching the consumers so easily, or at all.

Some projections say that over 50% of the vegetables will be thrown out, as their shelf life is not long and they cannot be stored in cooling facilities.

Vecernje Novosti reminds that this would not be the first time that levies on the import of certain products to Serbia are implemented.

In 2015, Serbia implemented additional fees on the import of milk, dairy products and pork meat, in order to prevent disturbances in the market, as the EU had removed quotas for the production of milk, and there was also a ban on the import of agricultural products from the EU to Russia.

This created surpluses in the European market, so Serbia reacted in order to protect domestic producers.

In late 2016, these measures were revoked, largely under the pressure of the EU.

Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede Republike Srbije

Branislav Nedimović

fruit

vegetables

import of fruit and vegetables

green markets

milk