‘Our milk is the highest quality in the region’

Croatian milk is the highest quality and safest in the region. We have higher quality milk than the Americans and many others, said Minister of Agriculture Tihomir Jakovina while guesting on the Dnevnik.

He also emphasized that milk producers will not have to pour out milk that the industry does not want to buy.

Speaking about the damage that followed the discovery of elevated levels of aflatoxin in milk, Jakovina said that data on damage assessment will be known at the beginning of the week. He appealed to everyone to make maximum efforts to ensure that such a situation with milk does not happen again. He also confirmed that payments of subsidies began at the end of January.

The Croatian Peasant Union, in an open letter, requested Jakovina to take all necessary actions so that milk producers can start delivering milk again as soon as possible, and consumers can be assured of its quality. Otherwise, they demand that the minister resign.

They note that milk producers contact them daily, complaining that they are in a hopeless situation because they have been brought to the brink ‘without being guilty’ as buyers do not take their milk due to elevated levels of aflatoxin.

In an open letter signed by Mijo Latin, they remind the Minister of Agriculture that last year they requested him and the Government of the Republic of Croatia to help Croatian agriculture due to a natural disaster, drought, and to allocate 500 million kuna from the State Budget, especially to assist the livestock sector by activating commodity reserves, as the drought resulted in poor quality animal feed, which has today in some cases led to the presence of aflatoxin in milk.
However, you did not listen to us, and you will activate the commodity reserves now, which will unfortunately be too late for many, states the Croatian Peasant Union in the open letter and calls for Jakovina to resign as Minister of Agriculture as this, they claim, would be the only salvation for Croatian agriculture.

Farmers in Velika Kopanica in the east and in Lužani in the western part of Brod-Posavina County sent a message to the relevant ministry from today’s three-hour peaceful protest that they feel abandoned, exploited, and deceived.

The latest situation with toxins in milk and the decision of dairy industries to temporarily suspend purchases from farms in eastern Slavonia has intensified farmers’ dissatisfaction, and at the protest organized by the local association of farmers and livestock breeders, demands were reiterated for the full payment of subsidies by the end of March, a fairer law on agricultural land, and more favorable legalization of economic facilities.

If we do not receive answers to our demands, we will initiate mass protests in March, announced Fabijan Marinić on behalf of the organizers.

About sixty farmers gathered at the protest in Velika Kopanica, including milk producers, some of whom received notice three days ago about the temporary suspension of purchases due to the unauthorized concentration of aflatoxin in milk.

Ružića Vukovac, whose family has a farm in Kopanica with about 300 cattle and 150 dairy cows, says they have suffered damage of about twenty thousand kuna so far because they had to pour out the milk. They are in debt and fear for the survival of their farm. They doubt the results of the inspections conducted by Dukat and will request an independent inspection from the State Inspectorate on Monday. For the protesters, the response from the Ministry of Agriculture is delayed. We feel abandoned, exploited, and miserable. The ministry does not take us seriously, we cannot reach them, they stated.

The protest organizer Fabijan Marinić adds that the problem should have been resolved in a coordinated manner, rather than dairy farmers demonstrating force in this way.