Representatives of farmers' associations decided at a meeting on Friday to embark on a full road blockade of Croatia as of 4 pm, giving Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic until 6 pm to decide on their request for a meeting and arrange the meeting within 24 hours, otherwise they will head for Zagreb with tractors on Saturday.
The meeting was held in Retkovci near Vinkovci in eastern Croatia.
Disgruntled farmers have been protesting for ten days in a number of counties, demanding the payment of more than HRK 450 million in subsidies. They are also unhappy with the purchase price of wheat, HRK 1.05 per kilogram, claiming it should not be below HRK 1.35.
Unless the PM complies with their request, the farmers will head for Zagreb tomorrow at 6 pm, Zvonko Pipic said on their behalf.
He said disgruntled farmers from Medjimurje, Krapina-Zagorje and Varazdin counties were expected to join in the protest tonight or tomorrow at the latest, spreading the protest to 11 continental counties in total.
Pipic said between 3,000 and 4,000 tractors were currently blocking roads.
The president of the SHS farmers' trade union, Tomislav Pokrovac, told reporters that not only farmers were protesting, but all Croatian citizens disgruntled with "the neglect and lack of understanding by the ruling elites."
"We appeal on all citizens to join us," he said, adding that the Serbian government had bought all the wheat from the Serbian farmers, paying "a price whereby they can cover their costs", while the Croatian government is "reducing (its farmers) to poverty."
"It's a disgrace what they are doing to us. We didn't deserve this," said Petar Pranjic on behalf of Osijek-Baranja County farmers. He added that buyers would offer HRK 1.80 per kilogram for sunflower and only HRK 0.80 for maize.
After the meeting, it was confirmed that disgruntled farmers' wives would start from Djakovo for Zagreb on foot on Saturday, dressed in black, to draw attention to "the tragedy befalling their families." The distance between the two cities is about 250 km.
