Farmers from five associations in Serbia talked with the relevant minister, Aleksandar Martinović, about the fulfillment of the requirements. Although they were promised a subsidy of RSD 35,000 per hectare last year, they received a new, smaller offer.
The President of the Assembly of the Association of Agricultural Producers of Subotica, Miroslav Matković, told the Beta agency after the meeting that Martinović, the advisor to the President of Serbia, Dragan Glamočić, and the Chief of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, Žarko Mićić, offered to pay the second part of the subsidy for certified seeds in the amount of 10,000 dinars per hectare, instead of 17,000 as was promised last year.
The state, said Matković, would pay the subsidy for certified seed without justifying its purchase, which means that everyone who received a direct subsidy per hectare of 18,000 dinars would also receive 10,000 dinars, but that would only be valid this year.
“They offered that the subsidy for next year’s seeds be up to 17,000 dinars per hectare with the purchase invoice, which means that if it is more expensive, they would pay more, and if it is cheaper, we will receive the money according to the invoice,” said Matković.
He added that regarding the demand for fuel without excise duty at all pumps, “the agreement has not moved from the deadlock”.
“They promised us that we will discuss the fuel for the next year and consider increasing the amount for the refund, which is now 50 dinars per liter,” said Matković.
If the farmers accepted the offer, the decree would be passed immediately, the government representatives promised, and 10,000 dinars would be paid out within 30 days.
Matković said that the meeting was attended by representatives of the Association for the Survival of Serbian Farmers, the Association of Agricultural Producers of Subotica, the Association of Farmers’ Associations of Banat and the associations “Aradac” and “Banatska crnica”.
After the meeting with the representatives of the ministry, the association said: FULFILL THESE REQUIREMENTS!
He stated that the associations will consider the offer.
The discord between the associations, which are divided into two blocs, was created by the state, which refuses to fulfill the demands after the protests in May and October last year, the fulfillment of which was promised by the then Prime Minister Ana Brnabić before the parliamentary and presidential elections in December.
A group of farmers’ associations, including the Subotica association, demanded three weeks ago that the demands from last year be met, but then the state started blackmailing them and offering smaller subsidies for certified seeds and correcting the offer for the second time.
Another group of associations that signed an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture in July of this year on the fulfillment of almost the same requirements, including a subsidy of a total of 35,000 dinars, of which 17,000 for certified seeds, are the association “Stig” (Požarevac), Složni pidikanci ( Bavnište), farmers of Brestovac (Banatski Brestovac), the Association of Milk Producers of Šumadija and Pomoravlje “Adrani” and the Association of Northern Banat (Kikinda).
They were not invited to today’s meeting, and according to the president of the “Stig” association, Nedeljko Savić, they do not agree to change the signed agreement because “they do not trust the state to fulfill the new, less favorable agreement for farmers, as it has not fulfilled so far.”
Those associations expected that, as Prime Minister Miloš Vučević announced, a public call for subsidies for certified seeds would be announced this month.
Source: BETA
Source: www.agromedia.rs
