OSIJEK, July 14 (Hina) - The leader of the Osijek branch of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party and member of parliament, Branimir Glavas, said in Osijek on Monday that "the real architects of the agricultural policy of the
Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) are smugglers and importers who earn hundreds of millions of dollars from food imports, or what people call the agricultural mafia."
OSIJEK, July 14 (Hina) - The leader of the Osijek branch of the
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party and member of parliament,
Branimir Glavas, said in Osijek on Monday that "the real architects
of the agricultural policy of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) are
smugglers and importers who earn hundreds of millions of dollars
from food imports, or what people call the agricultural mafia."
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Commenting on the situation in the agricultural sector at a news
conference, Glavas said that "the HSS has fully removed mechanisms
of protection of domestic agricultural production" and that "the
Croatian peasant is faced with unfair foreign competition." He
added that food imports would exceed US$ 1.2 billion this year.
Glavas accused Agriculture Minister Bozidar Pankretic of the HSS of
using nearly 200 million kuna from the national budget, intended
for agricultural reforms, for financing his party's election
campaign.
"Members of the HSS are blackmailing peasants, offering them delays
in loan repayments and other benefits on condition they join or vote
for the HSS," Glavas said.
He said that the HDZ did not think farmers' problems could be
resolved by blocking roads, but would support farmers' protests
"unless the government changes its stance, which no doubt is
leading to the destruction of the Croatian peasant."
(hina) vm sb