Today, milk producers from Zivinice protested against the government, claiming that the government is not doing anything concrete in difficult times, in order to save production. They came to the local administration headquarters with tractors, demanding that several requirements be met.
The global economic crisis has also hit the agricultural sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with food producers struggling to survive. They are forced to reduce production, and in the midst of spring sowing food producers are claiming that they are struggling to produce food without a concrete plan or help. They emphasize that the government at all levels has not done enough to help them, which is why some have already organized protests.
Monday broke out in Zivinice in a sign of rebellion, where a group of farmers, more precisely dairies 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 thousand BAM, which the City Administration of Zivinice provided for use to all agricultural producers. They limited larger producers to 1,500 BAM. We held several meetings in 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 cattle”, said the milk producer and one of the organizers of the protest, Eldin Glibanovic.
Farmers are also looking for a different incentive policy for all producers, and the way they are asking for more help per cattle, as they point out, would lead to a better spring sowing, which is questionable this year.
Glibanovic adds that they are asking the federal level to pay the incentive benefits they owe for the fourth quarter of last year and the first this year.
“Today, we express general dissatisfaction with the authorities in the Federation of BiH, but also cantonal authorities. We had many meetings and promises, but until today we have received almost nothing. They will claim that we got certain amounts of fuel, but we emphasize that the distribution was not fair. We can’t do anything with fuel, because if we don’t have the money to buy seed material and fertilizer, we can only drive around the cities with tractors”, emphasizes Glibanovic.
Today, 30 crafts are registered in Zivinice, i.e., those who are professionally engaged in milk production and cattle breeding, with 700 active workers. Last year they had 2,100 cows, with a production of six million liters of milk. However, as of March 31, there are 1,800 cows in this city.
“With this policy and incentive funds, I think that the livestock in Zivinice will disappear, and that the dairy industry will be shut down. Citizens will not be able to buy domestic milk because they will be forced to purchase products of questionable quality from imports”, warns Glibanovic.
Today, a group of farmers on their working machines, i.e., tractors from Ciljuge, headed to the center of Zivinice on the main roads, where they kept 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 continue until our requirements are met. At this time and with these prices it is extremely difficult to be a farmer. If this continues, believe me, 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 cattle breeding for many years and currently has 40 cattle.
It is the time of spring sowing, and farmers point out that they have calculated all costs. They will be at a loss this year. However, the fight is directing them to turn certain amounts of land into plantations.
