Montenegrin farmers have once again been forced to dump milk due to surplus and limited dairy capacity to purchase it. In response, the government held emergency meetings, and retail chains agreed to help by taking excess stock, while urgent exports to neighbouring countries were announced. However, farmers argue these are only temporary fixes and highlight the ongoing lack of a long-term strategy to support domestic dairy production.
Despite growing production, the sector continues to struggle with mismatches between supply, processing, and demand, alongside limited protection from imports. Farmers accuse the government of only reacting when the situation becomes critical, rather than addressing systemic issues.
Although Montenegro is bound by the CEFTA free trade agreement, producers point out that it allows for temporary protective measures in times of crisis—measures already used by countries like Serbia and Hungary. They are calling for stronger support for local production, better integration of domestic dairy products into public procurement, and a national strategy to ensure market stability and reduce reliance on imports.
