Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has churned out a robust performance in its dairy sector, with milk and milk product exports swelling to 131 million BAM last year, a creamy 14.38 percent increase over the prior year. This buoyant trend in dairy exports contrasts with a more modest uptick in imports, which rose by 2.29 percent to 230.5 million BAM, as detailed by the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The country’s dairy trade brewed a total foreign exchange turnover of 361.5 million BAM in 2023, with exports covering 57 percent of imports. Notably, the volume of milk flowing out of BiH’s borders saw a slight increase of 0.93 percent, but it was the surge in butter exports—rocketing by 70.09 percent—that truly creamed the competition. Fermented products and cheese also saw hearty gains, swelling by 18.34 percent and 7.55 percent respectively.
This lactose-laden windfall is hailed by the Chamber as a testament to the burgeoning vitality of BiH’s dairy sector, highlighting a sustained, value-added growth trajectory. The flavors of BiH dairy found their most eager consumers in neighboring markets, with Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, and North Macedonia leading the charge in imports, while the largest influx of dairy imports into BiH streamed from Germany, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Hungary.
In essence, BiH’s dairy sector is not just milking the opportunity but is on a path to becoming a heavyweight contender in the regional dairy market, solidifying its reputation and economic footprint in the process.