Milan Markovic, from the Stig Farmers’ Association, told the Beta news agency that farmers are not happy with the outcome of talks with outgoing Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and will decide Thursday evening on whether they will continue their protests.
“Only one of our demands has been met which is lifting the ban on exports of agricultural products, and the government is supposed to pass a relevant decree today,” Markovic said.
The buying-in price of sunflower offered by the Government is 535 Euro per tonne, he said, adding “and that is unacceptable because we asked for the price of 700 Euro per tonne,” Markovic said.
The farmers also demanded exemptions from duties on up to 100 litres of fuel per hectare of land but the government offered a 20 Dinar lower price of fuel for up to 60 hectares. However, the government did agree to lift the ban on the export of cooking oil.
The government also promised that the farmers who took part in the roadblocks with their tractors would not be held accountable under the law. Still, the farmers reported on Thursday that the police had taken down their license plate numbers.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the farmers are right about some things but that the state does not have endless amounts of money to accommodate their demands and is doing its best to reach a mutually acceptable solution.
Farmers in Novi Sad are still roadblocking the town centre.
(BBC Serbia, 11.08.2022)
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