DJAKOVO, Feb 25 (Hina) - The union of farmers' associations from Slavonija and Baranja is strongly opposed to the announced suspension of the ban on beef imports from European countries that have reported cases of mad cow disease,
union leader Anton Laslo said at a press conference in the eastern town of Satnica Djakovacka on Wednesday.
DJAKOVO, Feb 25 (Hina) - The union of farmers' associations from
Slavonija and Baranja is strongly opposed to the announced suspension
of the ban on beef imports from European countries that have reported
cases of mad cow disease, union leader Anton Laslo said at a press
conference in the eastern town of Satnica Djakovacka on Wednesday.#L#
Laslo said that the suspension of the ban was a form of blackmail used
by the European Union in exchange for admitting Croatia as its member.
He added that the Croatian farmer was not ready for EU entry and that
Croatia should not rush to join the bloc.
"How can the Croatian farmer be competitive on the EU market if he
cultivates only three hectares of land on average and has no
equipment? EU countries subsidise agriculture heavily, so that their
agricultural products are inevitably cheaper and more competitive,"
Laslo said.
(Hina) vm sb