AGREEMENT BETWEEN GOVT, FARMERS IS BEING IMPLEMENTED AS PLANNED

ZAGREB, July 9 (Hina) - The agreement signed last week by the Croatian Government and the Croatian Farmers' Association (HSS) is being implemented as agreed, representatives of the Government, HSS, and the Alliance of Sugar Beet Producers said at a meeting held in Zagreb on Friday. Present at the meeting, which was held at the Agriculture Ministry, were Agriculture Minister Ivan Djurkic and his associates, HSS president Ivan Kolar, vice-president Darko Gravicic, secretary Zlatko Orsag and the president of the Alliance, Stjepan Golubic, the HSS said in a statement today. The first item of the agreement has been confirmed and the guaranteed price of wheat from this year's yields will be 0.95 kuna per kilogram. Should certain amounts of wheat not be bought by the milling and baking industry at the guaranteed price, the HSS and the Agriculture Ministry suggest that farmers store their wheat in silos and it will be purchased and paid for within 30 days by the best bidder, which would be selected by the Ministry. The HSS and the Ministry strongly believe that the guaranteed price of wheat would not affect the price of bread and flour products, the statement said. The meeting also concluded that all other items of the agreement are being observed, the agreed deadlines are being respected and that the implementation of the agreement is being supervised by commissions appointed by the HSS. (hina) rml