Bosnia And Herzegovina: Crop Update
28 November 2006 Wheat hectares are being replaced by fruits and vegetables, leading to a 20% drop in planted area of the crop, according to the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Entities’ Agricultural Ministries and the Brcko District Agricultural Department’s unofficial estimates.
A short summary of the data for the country’s wheat, maize, and barley and rye follows.
Wheat
The winter wheat area is approximately 57,500 hectares (Ha), with 35,000 Ha in the Republika Srpska (RS), 20,000 Ha in the Federation, and 2,500 Ha in the Brcko District. This total figure is down 20% from last season, as grain production has proved less profitable than fruit and vegetable production. In addition, the value added tax (VAT) of 17% that was introduced on January 1, 2006 is now applied to all agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers, and chemicals) — this is in comparison to a zero tax rate for inputs before that date. A further decrease in wheat area is likely to occur in 2007/2008 unless the authorities decide to provide more support to farmers.
Maize
The Ag Ministries reported total maize production to be 975,800 tons harvested from 199,000 Ha. The area harvested in the RS was 145,000 Ha with an average yield of 5 to 5.5 tons per Ha. The area harvested in the Federation of BiH was 48,500 Ha with an average yield of 3.8 tons/hectare, and the area harvested in the Brcko District was 5,500 Ha with an average yield of 5.5 tons/Ha.
Barley And Rye
Total winter barley area is estimated at 12,200 Ha (3,700 Ha in the Federation, 8,000 Ha in the RS, and 500 Ha in the Brcko District). Total winter rye area is estimated at 3,200 Ha (1,200 Ha in the Federation and 2,000 in the RS).
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