Farmers in Serbia since new minister Dragan Glamočić is expected to, as they stated, be a magician and prevent the complete collapse of that branch of the economy.
Many believe that he will not be successful because Glamočić was in that position in 2013-2014. year, and now he came from the position of adviser to the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and they expected him, as a professor of agriculture, to have an influence on agrarian policy, writes the New Economy.
The President of the Assembly of Subotica Farmers' Association, Miroslav Matković, said that there are many unresolved problems that have dragged on for years.
"We need a magician, not a minister. Late subsidies, huge imports of milk and meat. We need to find a way to stimulate domestic agricultural production and support smaller farms, which were once able to survive, by raising a few cows or pigs," Matković told the Beta agency.
He added that the situation in agriculture is such that it is now cheaper to buy imported frozen meat and milk in a store than to engage in that production.
He stated that the budget for agriculture should also be increased in order for agricultural producers to try to get closer to the status of European farmers.
Everything is rotten in agriculture.
The president of the Initiative for the Survival of Serbian Farmers, Goran Filipović, said that "finally, an expert man has taken the position of minister, but the question is how long he will have his hands free."
"There are many problems in agriculture, everything is rotten, so no matter how expert someone is, solutions will not be found quickly," said Filipović.
He pointed out that the problem with the commodity exchange and the introduction of commodity bills has not been solved for three years, as well as the huge debts to the Pension and Social Insurance Fund, there is nothing even from the promised diesel without excise duty, and that domestic production is being stifled by huge imports of milk and meat.
Filipović said that it has never happened that some people get rich and others sell the machinery they bought with the support of the state, and not infrequently even their grandfather's to repay the loans, because production has been constantly in the red in recent years.
"In the past, everyone somehow made money, now we are failing because our products are cheap. It is true that we received financial support for the purchase of machinery, but someone did not think of that program well because there is almost no grace period, but huge loan installments must be returned after a year, and for example, an orchard that was raised with this support takes five years to have a full crop," he said.
He stated that "farmers are working and failing and that there is no strategy, but running from one 'fire' to another in order to put it out."
Clean the Ministry of those who have nothing to do with agriculture
The owner of a cattle farm in the municipality of Knić, Milija Palamarević, said that he expects Glamočić to "finally clear the ministry of personnel who have nothing to do with agricultural knowledge, and if necessary clean the carpets as well."
"If we want to make some progress in agricultural production, we must rely on knowledge and science and cooperation with farmers, in order to come up with a strategy for the development of that branch," said Palamarević.
He added that the state must find a solution to "stop milk processors from exploiting producers."
"Dairies must be reined in because instead of raising the price of milk, they 'eat' the milk premium given by the state and make enormous profits," said Palamarević.
Farmer Predrag Veljković from the Association of Milk Producers of Šumadija and Pomoravlja said that he does not expect anything from the new minister because "when he was in that position, he reduced subsidies per hectare from 12.000 dinars to 4.000 dinars and advocates the cultivation of modified soybeans".
"Very soon we will send a request for a meeting to discuss the delay in subsidies per hectare, for mechanization, premiums for milk... We will also ask to stop the import of milk and meat, the drop in milk prices, the delay in the payment of certain dairies," Veljković said.
Source: New Economy
