The minister said that citizens would benefit from lower food prices, but that they would pose a problem for Croatian food producers.
Jakovina said that falling food prices were due to food exports intended for the Russian market having remained on the internal market due to the Russian import ban.
Commenting on media reports about imported meat that had been refrozen several times, Jakovina said that there were no arguments to support such claims.
Croatia is a member of the EU and all regulations pertaining to cattle farmers and meat producers apply to Croatian producers, too, he said.
Speaking of beekeeping, he said that a national programme for beekeeping included a tree-year programme with measures for assistance to domestic beekeepers.
Jakovina said that since 2012 his ministry had been allocating 18 million kuna annually for beekeepers, twice the amount that used to be allocated before he took up office.
He underlined the importance of strict controls for honey from third countries.
Asked to comment on the current retail price of Croatian-grown lemons of some HRK 30 (approx. EUR 4) per kilogram, and if lemons would become a luxury product for Croatians, Jakovina said that prices of lemons had been disrupted in other EU countries as well, that it was a matter of supply and demand, and that all land on which lemons could be grown should be put to use.
The minister also commented on the ministry's activities regarding the EU' programme for the scrapping of fishing boats, under which Croatian fishermen who no longer want to engage in commercial fishing will be able to apply to have their boats destroyed and receive compensation.
Jakovina said that applications had been invited and that the list of boats to be scrapped would depend on the fishermen's interest in withdrawing from active fishing.
A total of 4.5 million euros will be available for that purpose this year, he said.
The EU's programme for the scrapping of fishing vessels is designed to reduce the fishing fleet and prevent overfishing in EU countries.