Local milk producers: Our products are of high quality and at cheaper prices than those from imports

How high quality local products are and are their prices higher than those coming from imports, this is often a topic of discussion in Kosovo by many different actors.

However, from the Association of Milk Producers of Kosovo (SHPQK) they say that local products are of high quality and not at high prices than those that come from abroad.

The chairman of the SHPKK, Milazim Berisha, says that they have complained about the fact that many imported products are arriving, which, according to him, do not contain milk and are causing damage to local producers.

"We have constantly asked to protect local products and give them space for sale, protecting them from various misuses, in case we are dealing with products, such as cheese, cottage cheese or other products made with other components", he said. Berisha said in a statement to Telegraph.

According to him, products are being sold that are made from other components, such as palm oil, different proteins, which are causing a lot of damage to the original milk products.

"These products must be separated on the sales shelves and must not be close to those from milk. This is not happening and we have been complaining about this for years," he emphasizes.

Berisha adds that local products are significantly cheaper.

"Local products are at least 10 percent to 15 percent cheaper. Another is when we are dealing with products coming from abroad that are not related to dairy products. The one that does not contain milk comes out cheaper, so it is produced from something else. For external products, this can happen when there are large stocks and their expiration date is approaching to release them from the stocks", adds Berisha.

Even Artan Spahija from the Vita dairy claims that local products are cheaper than those coming from abroad.

"We are cheaper than the dairies that come from abroad, where I can verify each institution through the Tax Administration of Kosovo. As for the milk that is imported with the same quality in Kosovo, Vita milk is the best and cheapest on the market. The policies that the markets make separately, we cannot interfere. Trade is free, and for that everyone can set the profit margin", says Spahija for Telegrafin.

He has also given a message to the institutions, asking that there should be more controls on these imported products.

"A message that I had sent to the institutions is that the entry of imported goods should be controlled, especially dairy products, where I think there is a reduction in prices on invoices, where it is known which dairy has all of them documented in TAK . A transport from the European Union to come to Kosovo is 3-4 cents per liter, i.e. transport costs. I ask the institutions to support us as milk processors in Kosovo", he requested.

In the end, Spahija points out that in other Balkan countries, the state subsidizes milk processors for years to harm the producers of Kosovo.

"In other Balkan countries, the state subsidizes milk processors for years, only to harm us here in Kosovo. Serbia is attacking us through Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia", concluded Spahija. /Telegraph/