Minister of Agriculture Tomislav Tolušić assessed on Tuesday that the latest developments in Agrokor will not harm Croatian agriculture and believes that after the crisis in that conglomerate, agriculture will emerge and ‘become stronger and more positive’.
When asked whether the latest processes in Agrokor will negatively affect Croatian agriculture, Tolušić told reporters on the sidelines of the Agro startup conference at the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb that he thinks they will not.
He added that there are significant dangers in the case of Agrokor, but there have also been positive aspects such as the renewal and construction of new production and processing capacities and quality land cultivation. However, he said, there have also been many negatives, primarily non-payments which, as he stated, have killed a good part of small, but also medium-sized farmers.
For farmers, price is important, but also receiving payment for their products within 30 days, not 330 days, which, unfortunately, has happened until now, Tolušić said.
He concluded that he believes Croatian agriculture will emerge and ‘become stronger and more positive’.
When asked about Agrokor’s debts to small and medium-sized farmers, he replied that the debts to small farmers and family farms have been paid in full, specifically to suppliers with revenues up to five million kuna.
He concluded that Agrokor is not managed by the state but by a commissioner, or creditors, and added that they will decide what and how to proceed and with what means and assets the remaining debt will be settled.
