GOVERNMENT AND FOOD PRODUCERS DISCUSS SUPPLY OF DANUBE REGION

VUKOVAR, Aug 21 (Hina) - Representatives of the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry met food producers in Vukovar on Thursday for talks on the normalisation of supply of the Croatian Danube region. Some Croatian products are already available in the UN- administered region but it will take some time before the supply of the region with Croatian products if fully normalised, senior adviser at the Economy Ministry Dragutin Sirovica told reporters after the meeting. Food producers expressed willingness to market their products in the Danube region, so that it will be necessary to work out the way of delivering goods to the region, Sirovica said, noting that Croatian dairies had begun buying off milk from local farmers a month ago. Also discussed was import from neighbouring Yugoslavia, which is currently somewhat more liberal than with other countries. Sirovica said that some strategic products were imported with a customs duty of only one per cent. The UN Transitional Administration (UNTAES) in the region will be asked to allow Croatian veterinary services to control the import of cattle from Yugoslavia. Sirovica said that UNTAES should ensure compliance with a ban on the import of sugar because about a hundred tonnes of sugar was imported into the region from Yugoslavia every month. (hina) vm jn 211755 MET aug 97