Farmers, government reach agreement

Farmers’ representatives and the Agriculture Ministry have reached an agreement on subsidies. Protesting farmers moved their tractors, unblocking Belgrade-Pancevo road just after 14:00 CET. Other roads in Vojvodina are expected to be unblocked during the day as well. Farmers, government reach agreement The farmers’ representatives and Agriculture Minister Dusan Petrovic held a meeting at the Serbian government headquarters earlier today. The government has adopted a decision to give subsidies worth RSD 14,000 per one hectare for farms up to 100 hectares. The agriculture minister said Friday that the government would start paying subsidies very soon. “The protests of disgruntled farmers and road blocks in Vojvodina can be suspended only if a document on meeting their needs is signed by President Boris Tadic or Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic,” President of the Association of Farmers Miroslav Ivkovic said Friday. “We did not see a new decree on subsidies, nor has any state or provincial official addressed us, and that is why we continue to protest until we get guarantees from the highest places,” he pointed out, adding that the farmers were revolted with the way officials were communicating with them. “Farmers protest softened Friday morning when they heard the views of the state leadership and the announcement of the adoption of regulations accepting their requests, but since there has been no written guarantee during the day, they believe they might be deceived, and therefore intensified the blockade,” Ivkovic stressed. The farmers were not satisfied with the government's decision to reduce the size of subsidized land from 100 to 10 hectares.

Farmers, government reach agreement

The farmers’ representatives and Agriculture Minister Dušan Petrović held a meeting at the Serbian government headquarters earlier today.

The government has adopted a decision to give subsidies worth RSD 14,000 per one hectare for farms up to 100 hectares.

The agriculture minister said Friday that the government would start paying subsidies very soon.

“The protests of disgruntled farmers and road blocks in Vojvodina can be suspended only if a document on meeting their needs is signed by President Boris Tadić or Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković,” President of the Association of Farmers Miroslav Ivković said Friday.

“We did not see a new decree on subsidies, nor has any state or provincial official addressed us, and that is why we continue to protest until we get guarantees from the highest places,” he pointed out, adding that the farmers were revolted with the way officials were communicating with them.

“Farmers protest softened Friday morning when they heard the views of the state leadership and the announcement of the adoption of regulations accepting their requests, but since there has been no written guarantee during the day, they believe they might be deceived, and therefore intensified the blockade,” Ivković stressed.

The farmers were not satisfied with the government's decision to reduce the size of subsidized land from 100 to 10 hectares.