DISGRUNTLED SLAVONIAN FARMERS SAY THEY WILL BLOCK ROADS ON AUG 31

( Editorial: --> 5128 ) OSIJEK, Aug 21 (Hina) - The Association of Farmers in Slavonia and Baranja (eastern Croatia) announced Friday they will block the whole road and rail traffic in Slavonia on August 31, including the Zagreb-Lipovac highway. The farmers are protesting because the government has not reached a decision on a request to set the price of wheat at 1.10 kuna net per kilogram for all agricultural producers, including those within the Value Added Tax system. After a protest on August 4, when the farmers blocked a road near Piskorevci, the Association of Farmers gave the government a deadline of August 15 to reply to their request. The Association's secretary, Stanko Zdravcevic, said farmers would ask five Slavonian prefects for help in solving their problems, and would request that the government "decides on taxing the upcoming crops - corn, sunflowers and oil beet". We still leave room for the government to repair decisions that influence us, and if it does not, "on August 31 the Slavonian farming mechanisation will end up on the roads again," Zdravcevic said. (hina) lml 211819 MET aug 98