E. CRO FARMERS BEGIN MEETING WITH FINANCE MINISTRY REPS

( Editorial: --> 6071 ) ZAGREB, Aug 26 (Hina) - A meeting with a delegation of a union of farmers of Slavonia and Baranja began at the Croatian Ministry of Finance on Wednesday. The farmers' delegation is headed by union secretary Slavko Zdravcevic. The central topic of the meeting will, according to earlier reports, be the problems surrounding the purchase of this year's wheat harvest and the farmers union's demands in that respect. The farmers are attending today's meeting in order to "resolve games around the wheat" and the value added tax accounting, as well as to acquaint the government with the union and its power, Zdravcevic said before the afternoon meeting. He emphasised the farmers' union was abiding by its previously stated demands. If the delegation leaves today's meeting dissatisfied, the farmers will on the last day of August block roads in Slavonia and Baranja, regions in eastern Croatia, Zdravcevic said. The leadership of the farmers' union earlier gave the Croatian government an end of August deadline to respond to the farmers' demand. One of the basic demands of the farmers' union is a uniform payment of the wheat without VAT deduction from the guaranteed price of 1.10 kunas (17 US cents). Today's meeting is also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the State Commodity Stockpiles Management. (hina) ha 261559 MET aug 98