ZAGREB, (Hina) – Low self-sufficiency, frequent animal diseases and a shortage of skilled workers are among the main challenges facing livestock farming and the meat industry in Croatia, speakers said on Wednesday at a conference organised by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK).

The participants in the conference stressed that meat production must increase.

Dragan Kovačević, HGK vice-president for agriculture and tourism, said meat production in Croatia and the EU is under constant pressure — from calls to cut red meat consumption, animal disease outbreaks and greenhouse-gas targets to animal-welfare requirements and unfair competition from major global producers.

Despite this, global meat production and consumption continue to rise, he noted.

Croatia’s annual meat consumption stands at 87 kg per capita

Croatia’s annual meat consumption stands at 87 kg per capita, well above the EU average, with pork accounting for over half. Self-sufficiency has fallen from 72% to 63% since EU accession, with a particularly steep drop in beef, by over 30%.

Croatia imports large volumes of meat and last year recorded a record trade deficit of more than €625 million.

Imports and the deficit have more than tripled since EU entry and the trend continued this year. While meat products of higher added value usually generate a trade surplus, in 2024 exports no longer covered imports, Kovačević said.

The meat industry is a strategic processing sector in terms of GDP share, revenue and employment, operating to high food-safety and energy-efficiency standards. Productivity stands at 56% of the EU average but remains the most productive segment of processing. This is due to strong investment in innovation, digitalisation, automation and reformulated products with reduced salt, fat and additives.

Meat prices in Croatia have risen twice as fast as the EU average since 2020, but the industry is not to blame, Kovačević said. Retail and import prices have risen by 42%, while producer prices increased only 20%.

He stressed the need to boost production and cut import dependence, which fuels inflation. Government crisis measures have helped stabilise the sector, but future programmes should provide more investment funding from national sources and the EU.

Agriculture ministry state secretary Zdravko Tušek and HGK’s Vlado Čondić GaliniДЌiД‡ also underlined the need to increase production. Tušek noted that ministry programmes place a strong emphasis on higher meat and milk output and greater support for processors.