Members of the Croatian federation of dairy farmers' associations (HSUPM) said on Saturday that as of 6pm, they began blocking roads and would stop only when talks on the production and purchase price of raw milk began with the institutions in charge.
Speaking to the press after an HUSPM meeting, its representative, Branko Zoric, said roadblocks would be set at all protest locations, except Slavonska Avenue in Zagreb, the capital's busiest road.
HSUPM representatives apologised to citizens because of the traffic problems the roadblocks would cause.
Zoric said Agriculture Minister Tihomir Jakovina and Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic should become involved in dealing with the problem.
He said the HSUPM, which represents more than 80 per cent of all dairy farmers who produce more than 450 millions litres of milk, was outraged by the "disgraceful" agreement which the farmers outside the Council for the Dairy Industry signed on Thursday.
HSUPM leaders asked citizens for understanding, saying the purchase price being offered meant that two-thirds of farms producing Croatian milk would close down.
Regarding HSUPM members' announcements that they would stop delivering raw milk to dairy companies on Monday, Zoric said they were "technically arranging" that.
Dairy farmers have been protesting for 12 days now, disgruntled with the purchase price of HRK 2.30 per kilo of milk which the Dukat dairy company announced in late January. They demand compliance with a 2009 memorandum on the purchase price of HRK 2.71 per kilo, plus HRK 0.42 in state aid which now they stand to lose.
Some dairy farmers' associations on Thursday signed an agreement on a model for determining the purchase price of milk for the next three months, during which time the price will be HRK 2.43.
