ZAGREB, July 15 (Hina) - The leader of the Croatian Farmers' Association (HSS), Ivan Kolar, said on Tuesday that problems relating to the price of wheat and a protest rally announced for Wednesday by farmers from the eastern regions
of Slavonia and Baranja were "political rather than economic".
ZAGREB, July 15 (Hina) - The leader of the Croatian Farmers'
Association (HSS), Ivan Kolar, said on Tuesday that problems
relating to the price of wheat and a protest rally announced for
Wednesday by farmers from the eastern regions of Slavonia and
Baranja were "political rather than economic". #L#
"All the problems regarding wheat and the protests that have been
announced are the result of political manipulations in which the
Farmers' Association wants no part," Kolar told a press
conference.
His deputy, Darko Grivicic, accused Branimir Glavas of the Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) party of organising the protest, saying that
Glavas was closely cooperating with Antun Laslo, leader of the
Association of Farmers from Slavonia and Baranja.
"We resolutely reject any political games," Kolar said, adding that
the Farmers' Association did not want to be "a generator of higher
living costs of Croatian citizens" through demands for a higher
wheat price.
Officials of the Farmers' Association said they were not fully
satisfied with the wheat price, but stressed they wanted to address
all issues at a negotiating table.
Kolar said that the price of one kuna per kilo was barely acceptable
for buyers and that Croatian wheat was the most expensive in
Europe.
Kolar praised the Ministry of Agriculture for securing 42 million
kuna (approx. 5.6 million euros) in aid to producers who decided to
sell their wheat now.
(hina) vm sb