After three hours of negotiations in the City Hall in Đakovo, Minister of Agriculture Petar Čobanković and the Coordination of Representatives of Farmers’ Associations from five Slavonian counties, except for Zvonko Pipić from Virovitica-Podravina County who left the meeting dissatisfied before its conclusion, reached a consensus early Monday morning, as both sides assessed, and signed an agreement.
According to this agreement, farmers secured subsidy payments for the spring sowing of 2009/2010 at a rate of 86 percent, whereby 60 percent of the subsidy will be paid in cash, with the first part by March 31, and the second by April 15, 2010, in equal parts. The remaining 26 percent is actually 600 kuna per hectare, which will be settled in agricultural inputs. Farms with more than 300 hectares are excluded from these measures. Regarding the outstanding 205 million kuna in subsidies from the spring sowing of 2008/2009, farmers secured their full payment with a due date in June 2011. This right applies to farmers with up to 300 hectares. On behalf of the Croatian government and the Ministry of Agriculture, the agreement was signed by Minister Čobanković, and on behalf of the Coordination, Matija Brlošić representing farmers from Osijek-Baranja, Dragutin Dukić representing farmers from Požega-Slavonia County, Tomislav Pokrovac on behalf of Vukovar-Srijem, and Josip Zmaić on behalf of Brod-Posavina farmers.
“This agreement has achieved a certain consensus, and both sides have maximally respected each other. As a responsible government, we could not accept what we cannot realize. Therefore, this is not a promise agreement. We are aware that this is a significant reduction, but the budget at this moment does not provide other options,” said Čobanković, adding that this conclusion of negotiations achieved a novelty related to the resolution of the debt for subsidies of 205 million kuna from 2008, as well as their payment with a due date in 2011. He also added that the signed agreement, despite Zvonko Pipić not signing it, also encompasses the rights of farmers from Virovitica-Podravina County. Representatives of the farmers assess that the agreement does not meet their full satisfaction, but that it is the only possible reality at this moment. “We have exhausted all possibilities, we were firm until the end due to 8 days of tractors on the roads. From the beginning, we were for compromise, and part of it is incorporated into the agreement,” said Matija Brlošić, announcing that farmers would leave the protest points on Monday morning.
