Dairy farmers from Zivinice rebelled against the government yesterday, claiming that they are not doing anything concrete in difficult times, in order to save the production. They came to the local administration headquarters with tractors, demanding that several requirements be met, Klix.ba writes.
The global economic crisis has also hit the agricultural sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), with food producers falling to their knees. They are forced to reduce production, and in the midst of spring sowing, they state that they are operating without a concrete plan. They emphasize that the government at all levels has not done enough to help them, which is why some have already organized protests.
Monday dawned in Zivinice in a sign of rebellion, where a group of farmers, more precisely dairy farmers and cattle breeders, held a protest rally. Several demands have been imposed on the city, cantonal, and federal authorities, and if they are not met, more drastic moves will follow.
We are primarily dissatisfied with the distribution of funds in the amount of 600.000 BAM, which the City Administration of Zivinice gave for use to all agricultural producers. They limited larger producers to 1.500 BAM. We held several meetings with the City Administration, but there was no progress. We want them to stand by us and change the injustice that is being done to us. So, we are asking for 360.000 BAM, or 200 BAM per milking parlor,” milk producer and one of the organizers of the protest, Eldin Glibanovic, stated.
Yesterday, a group of farmers on their working machines, more specifically, tractors, headed to the center of Zivinice from the place Ciljuge on the main roads, where they held the seat of the City Administration in a one-hour blockade.
”We started in front of the city administration of Zivinice, but we will not stop at this. We will move on until our demands are met. At this time and with these prices it is extremely difficult to be a farmer. If this continues, believe that half of the agricultural producers will give up production next year, that is, they will have to shut down,” says Suljo Smajic from Basigovci, who has been engaged in stock farming for many years, and currently has 40 head of cattle.
E.Dz.
