Minister fails to reach agreement with farmers

Minister of Agriculture and Trade Dusan Petrovic failed on Thursday to reach an agreement with farmers protesting over the new way of subsidizing production. After meeting with farmers, Petrovic told reporters that a successful sowing season was of national interest and that he regretted some people had decided to stage protests because of the way the agriculture sector was subsidized. Minister fails to reach agreement with farmers He stated he repeated at the meeting on Thursday the arguments in favor of the new subsidy model for plant cultivation based on the quantity of the goods produced and delivered, and not based on hectares. The government will provide RSD 22 billion in farming subsidies this year, which is RSD 3.5 billion more than last year, and a much larger number of farms in Serbia will be able to use the subsidies because of the new model, Petrovic pointed out. A total of 82,000 registered farms received subsidies in 2011, and as many as 200,000 registered farms applied for fuel subsidies by only March 28 this year, he stated. Those farmers will probably also apply for subsidies related to plant production, he added. Last year, the subsidies related to 1.02 hectares of arable land, while this year, the farmers who have applied for subsidies have already registered 1.4 hectares of arable land, Petrovic noted. The numbers speak in favor of the claim that the Ministry of Agriculture has already achieved its goal with the new measures in agricultural policy, and that is to get as many farmers as possible to start intensive production, he remarked. Petrovic added that unfortunately, the farmers who staged the protest on Thursday remained adamant that the subsidies for 2012 should be at RSD 14,000 per hectare. He rejected the claims by some disgruntled farmers that the processing industry would benefit from the new subsidy model, adding that some companies had already announced they would pay the farmers market prices for their produce. The minister concluded that the new measures would ensure a steady supply of affordable food on the market. Earlier in the day, a member of the committee that organized the protest, Miroslav Ivkovic, told reporters in front of the Serbian government headquarters in downtown Belgrade that the farmers had decided to hold the protest because they were not satisfied with the government’s agricultural policy. Ivkovic said that they were ready to step up their protests if necessary. He also stressed that the farmers were equal citizens of the society and that they had the right to move freely in the entire territory of Serbia, which was guaranteed by the Constitution. Police stopped farmers in northern Serbian towns of Indjija, Titel and Kula earlier on Thursday, preventing them from getting to Belgrade. Farmers from Vojvodina and central Serbia headed to Belgrade on Thursday morning, protesting against government’s regulations on tobacco premiums. Farmer Mile Piperski told Radio B92 earlier on Thursday that police had stopped around 250 tractors near Zrenjanin a little before noon. He said that the farmers would block the Zrenjanin road at 13:00 CET if police did not allow them to continue toward Belgrade. B92 has learnt that between 250 and 300 tractors were stopped by the police in Titel. The protesting farmers said earlier that their intention was not to block towns and roads but that they would block the roads if the police did not allow them to enter Belgrade. “Our plan is to get to Belgrade and Pancevo and to drive through the city in protest and that way warn the minister and then return home,” Piperski stressed. He added that the farmers did not want any increase in subsidies or new subsidies and that they only wanted them to remain the same. (Beta) B92 Beta

Minister fails to reach agreement with farmers

He stated he repeated at the meeting on Thursday the arguments in favor of the new subsidy model for plant cultivation based on the quantity of the goods produced and delivered, and not based on hectares.

The government will provide RSD 22 billion in farming subsidies this year, which is RSD 3.5 billion more than last year, and a much larger number of farms in Serbia will be able to use the subsidies because of the new model, Petrović pointed out.

A total of 82,000 registered farms received subsidies in 2011, and as many as 200,000 registered farms applied for fuel subsidies by only March 28 this year, he stated.

Those farmers will probably also apply for subsidies related to plant production, he added.

Last year, the subsidies related to 1.02 hectares of arable land, while this year, the farmers who have applied for subsidies have already registered 1.4 hectares of arable land, Petrović noted.

The numbers speak in favor of the claim that the Ministry of Agriculture has already achieved its goal with the new measures in agricultural policy, and that is to get as many farmers as possible to start intensive production, he remarked.

Petrović added that unfortunately, the farmers who staged the protest on Thursday remained adamant that the subsidies for 2012 should be at RSD 14,000 per hectare.

He rejected the claims by some disgruntled farmers that the processing industry would benefit from the new subsidy model, adding that some companies had already announced they would pay the farmers market prices for their produce.

The minister concluded that the new measures would ensure a steady supply of affordable food on the market.

Earlier in the day, a member of the committee that organized the protest, Miroslav Ivković, told reporters in front of the Serbian government headquarters in downtown Belgrade that the farmers had decided to hold the protest because they were not satisfied with the government’s agricultural policy.

Ivković said that they were ready to step up their protests if necessary.

He also stressed that the farmers were equal citizens of the society and that they had the right to move freely in the entire territory of Serbia, which was guaranteed by the Constitution.

Police stopped farmers in northern Serbian towns of Inđija, Titel and Kula earlier on Thursday, preventing them from getting to Belgrade.

Farmers from Vojvodina and central Serbia headed to Belgrade on Thursday morning, protesting against government’s regulations on tobacco premiums.

Farmer Mile Piperski told Radio B92 earlier on Thursday that police had stopped around 250 tractors near Zrenjanin a little before noon. He said that the farmers would block the Zrenjanin road at 13:00 CET if police did not allow them to continue toward Belgrade.

B92 has learnt that between 250 and 300 tractors were stopped by the police in Titel.

The protesting farmers said earlier that their intention was not to block towns and roads but that they would block the roads if the police did not allow them to enter Belgrade.

“Our plan is to get to Belgrade and Pančevo and to drive through the city in protest and that way warn the minister and then return home,” Piperski stressed.

He added that the farmers did not want any increase in subsidies or new subsidies and that they only wanted them to remain the same.