Record beef prices in Kosovo
Kosovo citizens appear to be major consumers of meat products. According to official figures from Kosovo Customs, it might seem as if they eat nothing but meat, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.
In 2024 alone, Kosovo imported 52.9 million kilograms of meat from various countries, KosovaPress reports. Meanwhile, the Food and Veterinary Agency (AUV) highlighted the quantity of meat destroyed in 2024 and their efforts to ensure the quality of this product for citizens.
Official data from Kosovo Customs indicate that the value of meat imports in 2024 was over €117 million.
Meat ranked 12th among the most imported products throughout the year.
Compared to 2023, the quantity of imported meat products has not changed significantly, but their value has. The value of meat imports in 2024 increased by more than €10 million compared to 2023, seemingly due to inflation in the countries of origin.
In response to KosovaPress, Kosovo Customs stated that in 2023, Kosovo imported 52.7 million kilograms of meat worth €106 million.
"In 2024, Kosovo imported 52.9 million kilograms of meat, valued at €117.6 million," Kosovo Customs told KosovaPress in a written reply.
In 2017, the quantity of imported meat was around 40 million kilograms.
But how safe is the meat?
According to AUV spokesperson Lamir Thaçi, in every case where inspectors determined a product did not meet legal criteria for trade and consumption, it was destroyed.
Thaçi said that from January to December 2024, AUV destroyed 460,669 kilograms of meat and meat products. Additionally, 40,505 kilograms of fish were destroyed in the same period.
The type of meat most commonly destroyed was beef.
“To prevent any possible misuse, all decisions regarding the destruction of products were made following legal procedures. The quantities of destroyed products this year are as follows: 460,669 kilograms of meat and meat products, as well as 40,505 kilograms of fish,” he told KosovaPress.
Thaçi added that whenever irregular products were found, punitive procedures were initiated. The Veterinary Inspectorate recorded eight violations, while the Phytosanitary Inspectorate issued 60 fines. Furthermore, 103 cases were submitted to competent courts by the Veterinary Inspectorate.
Additionally, the average price of beef in 2024 reached a record high in Kosovo over the past decade. The average price for one kilogram of beef in November this year was €8.98, an increase of €2.50 or 38.46% compared to 2014, when the price was €6.48.
In some butcher shops, the price reached as high as €10 per kilogram this year.
