CRO FARMERS: FERTILISER IMPORTS WILL NOT HELP FARMING SECTOR

ZAGREB, Jan 4 (Hina) - The Association of Slavonija and Baranja Farmers (ZUSSB) and the Croatian Farmers' Association (HSS) believe Thursday's decision of the Croatian government on deregulating prices and introducing a zero customs rate for artificial fertiliser imports will not be of any help in normalising the situation in the farming sector. ZUSSB president Antun Laslo told Hina the government's decision would not help normalise the situation in the farming sector mostly because the price of imported artificial fertilisers would not be significantly lower than the price of artificial fertilisers produced by Croatia's Petrokemija company. Therefore, the ZUSSB plans to, before the beginning of this year's parliamentary session, distribute to MPs leaflets with farmers' requests, the most important being a 40-percent increase in state incentives for farming. According to HSS secretary Kresimir Kuterovac, the farmers' discontent dates back to a government decision adopted in early December, which increased the price of artificial fertilisers by 34.9 percent on the average, and farmers believe the increase should be neutralised by increasing incentives. The HSS welcomes the decision on the deregulation of prices of artificial fertilisers only if it is one of the steps aimed at normalising the situation in the farming sector, but it also believes the measure will help Petrokemija rather than the farmers, Kuterovac said. (hina) rml