Minister of Agriculture Consults with the Government

After an hour, negotiations between farmers and the relevant minister Petar Čobanković in Đakovo were interrupted. The farmers do not agree to his offer, which has not changed since yesterday’s meeting in Kutjevo. Čobanković immediately headed to Zagreb for consultations with the Government, reports hrt.hr

He stated that he cannot make promises he cannot fulfill and that there is only a limited amount of money in the budget. Minister Čobanković will hold a press conference at 5 PM in the Ministry building in Zagreb. While awaiting the results of the consultations in Zagreb, which should be known in the evening, farmers in the Đakovo area will not block traffic, but will stand with their tractors in one lane on the Đakovo bypass, thereby slowing down traffic.

It is estimated that there are more than two thousand tractors on the roads. Farmers are blocking roads with tractors and are getting closer to Zagreb. Farmers’ associations are making traffic difficult in Velika Gorica and Ivanić Grad. The road connecting Vinkovci and Osijek is blocked. Farmers have blocked the Bjelovar bypass with 70 tractors and the Đakovo bypass with about seventy tractors, causing the police to redirect traffic through both cities. There are also blockades on the roads Garešnica-Kutina, Vinkovci-Jarmina, on the Podravina highway in the places of Pitomača, Virovitica, Nova Bukovica, in Donje Vratno, Bačevac, Bušetina, Vukosavljevica, Čađavica, near Ivanić Grad and in Poljanec near Ludbreg.

Zagorje farmers completely blocked the Zagorje highway with tractors yesterday afternoon, and both lanes of the old road to Zagreb were blocked from the turn in Mokrice to the exit in Veliko Trgovišće. Today, members of the dairy producers of Dalmatia and plowmen of Dalmatia joined the protesters. They are blocking one lane in Kukuzovac near Sinj with 13 tractors. They say they are in the same situation as the farmers from Slavonia, and in this way, they are providing support for their demands.

Farmers are demanding 100% payment of subsidies from 2009, while the relevant ministry proposes payment of part of the subsidies in the form of agricultural inputs equivalent to 500 kuna per hectare. This is an additional 22% on the amount of 60% of the subsidies that will be paid in cash. Farmers are not backing down from their demands, seeking 100% payment of this year’s subsidies, with 60% in cash and the disputed 40%, which the state recently abolished, in agricultural inputs. (www.hrt.hr)