Western Balkans: state of agriculture and its opportunities on the eve of EU accession

The Western Balkan countries can be characterised by their shared goal, which is the quickest possible accession to the European Union. Agriculture is an important obstacle to achieving this goal. The role of agriculture differs widely among the analysed countries but is more important than the average of the EU. This study gives a comprehensive overview of the most important agricultural indicators related to both crop and livestock production. These indicators present a precise picture of the sector’s relevance, production structure, efficiency and international relations. After demonstrating changes in input use, production structure, prices, terms of trade and agricultural policies, the next section identifies some of the reasons for these changes. The time horizon of the analysis goes back to the early nineties and tries to capture some transition effects. The consequences of the Yugoslav war can be easily recognised in every country involved. However, since the end of the war Serbia became the leading producer and the only net exporter of agricultural goods in the region. Nevertheless, the current situation is endangered by several issues, such as imbalanced sectoral production, fragmented production structure, relatively low yields, unfavourable export composition, and poor food hygiene and quality control, which anticipate painful and hard actions need to be carried out.