ZAGREB, Oct 5 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Thursday decided that the area under wheat this autumn be increased by 8,000 hectares, which means that a total of 210,000 hectares will be under wheat. This will also increase
incentives for autumn sowing from 150 to 161 million kuna. The government today set the protective price of wheat for next year at 0.70 kuna per kilogram (this year's price is 0.75 kuna). More than 409,000 tonnes of wheat have been purchased after this year's sowing and about 90 percent has been paid for (399 million kuna), said Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bozidar Pankretic, adding all wheat would be paid for in several days. Pankretic described this year's change from the state model of payment of wheat to the market model as a major step forward. Last year the payment of wheat started in October and was completed in May this year. This year, the greatest part of payment transaction
GOVT DISCUSSES AUTUMN SOWING, FARMERS' PROTEST RALLIES
ZAGREB, Oct 5 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Thursday decided
that the area under wheat this autumn be increased by 8,000
hectares, which means that a total of 210,000 hectares will be under
wheat. This will also increase incentives for autumn sowing from
150 to 161 million kuna.
The government today set the protective price of wheat for next year
at 0.70 kuna per kilogram (this year's price is 0.75 kuna).
More than 409,000 tonnes of wheat have been purchased after this
year's sowing and about 90 percent has been paid for (399 million
kuna), said Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bozidar Pankretic,
adding all wheat would be paid for in several days.
Pankretic described this year's change from the state model of
payment of wheat to the market model as a major step forward. Last
year the payment of wheat started in October and was completed in
May this year. This year, the greatest part of payment transactions
were carried out in September and will be completed in October,
Pankretic said, condemning the recent protest rallies of Croatian
farmers.
Deputy Prime Minister Slavko Linic supported Pankretic stressing
that the setting up road blocks jeopardised the activities of other
economic agents. This cannot be tolerated and the organisers of
those rallies should be punished, Linic said.
Interior Minister Sime Lucin recalled that over the past days roads
were blocked throughout Europe but going against protesters was not
mentioned anywhere. Criminal charges are pressed in cases of road
blocks, Lucin said, adding changes had to be made urgently to the
Law on Public Assembly, which had many flaws.
Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac expressed dissatisfaction with the
plan of autumn sowing adopted today. The price of our wheat is
relatively high, we support it with high incentives, yields are
greater than our needs and "expensive wheat ends up as cheap
export," Crkvenac said, supporting the reduction of the area under
wheat and its adjustment to the country's needs.
The government today did not take a stand toward the State Audit
report on audit findings for 1999, which is being debated by the
House of Representatives today. The Government will take a stand
after all ministries forward their measures and decisions taken
with the aim of urgently removing irregularities as well as
measures which are to be taken, especially regarding the
disciplinary or criminal liability for unconscientious and
irresponsible conduct of persons responsible for the management of
budgetary funds.
The government forwarded to parliament a proposal on changes to the
Law on Medicines and Medical Products, which introduces a so-called
reference price of medicines. According to the proposal, the price
of medicines would be calculated in line with prices in other
countries.
The government today also adopted a decision on establishing a
national council for job safety and dissolved the municipal
councils of Nova Bukovica and Ljubescica and appointed its
commissioners for the two municipalities.
(hina) rml