FARMERS LIFT BLOCKADE FROM RAILWAY LINE, BLOCKADE REMAINS ON ROAD

FARMERS LIFT BLOCKADE FROM RAILWAY LINE, BLOCKADE REMAINS ON ROAD TOVARNIK, Oct 5 (Hina) - Eastern Croatian farmers, who staged a protest rally on Thursday morning, de-blocked the Vinkovci- Tovarnik-Belgrade railway line and directed their tractors to the Vinkovci-Tovarnik road where they maintained the blockade at the border crossing with Yugoslavia. At about 09.30 am Thursday farmers blocked the border crossing at Tovarnik (easternmost Croatia) towards Yugoslavia and hampered traffic along the railway line Vinkovci-Tovarnik-Belgrade protesting against a company's failure to pay them in time for the wheat they sold to that Osijek-based firm this summer. The protesters lifted the blockade from the railway line after they were persuaded by police and railway workers to do so for security reasons. The farmers hindered the traffic with their tractors, expressing dissatisfaction at the 'In-Cubo' company's delay in the payment of about three million kuna (some US$357,000). Farmers ask two millions and a local co-operative farm in the village of Lovas should get one million. Demonstrators, organised by the association of the Slavonia and Baranja farmers (ZUSSB), said they would protest until they receive assurances from 'In-Cubo' that the money has been paid via banks. (hina) ms