OSIJEK, Jan 13 (Hina) - The Association of Peasants from Slavonia +and Baranja (eastern Croatia) forwarded a letter Wednesday to +Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Prime Minister Zlatko +Matesa, calling on a solution of
difficulties in Croatian +agriculture and the urgent correction of injustices towards the +Croatian country.+ Stressing that nobody had taken notice of warnings about the +difficult position of peasants, and that peasants had been driven +to the edge, the Association stated "the straw that broke the +camel's back were recent announcements that the breeding of pigs in +our households would possibly be prohibited due to trichinosis".+ In its letter, the Association recalled that peasants had protested +last summer because of "injustice in the (government's) buying of +wheat", they had not carried out the planned sowing in autumn, that +their sunflowers and sugar beet had not
OSIJEK, Jan 13 (Hina) - The Association of Peasants from Slavonia
and Baranja (eastern Croatia) forwarded a letter Wednesday to
Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Prime Minister Zlatko
Matesa, calling on a solution of difficulties in Croatian
agriculture and the urgent correction of injustices towards the
Croatian country.
Stressing that nobody had taken notice of warnings about the
difficult position of peasants, and that peasants had been driven
to the edge, the Association stated "the straw that broke the
camel's back were recent announcements that the breeding of pigs in
our households would possibly be prohibited due to trichinosis".
In its letter, the Association recalled that peasants had protested
last summer because of "injustice in the (government's) buying of
wheat", they had not carried out the planned sowing in autumn, that
their sunflowers and sugar beet had not been paid, and there were
great amounts of unsold products in storage, such as corn, wine,
fruits and vegetables, pork and beef.
"At the same time, the same goods are being imported, individuals
are getting rich, peasants are slumping, just as are other Croatian
manufacturers," the letter said.
The peasants called on Tudjman and Matesa to influence the part of
lulled and careless state officials who are impairing their work
and not paying for the fruits of labour.
They requested an end to smugglers and ministry promises "before
peasants walk out into the streets in despair".
Replying to the Association's demands dated December 28 of last
year, including a request to meet with the Prime Minister and
relevant ministers, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Zlatko
Dominikovic invited representatives of the Association for talks.
The Association's secretary, Stanko Zdravcevic, told Hina the
Association was prepared for talks and would respond to the
invitation.
The only condition is that the meeting be held in the presence of
reporters, Zdravcevic said.
(hina) lml