Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) vice president Marijana Petir at a news conference on Tuesday dismissed accusations that the milk farmers' protest was politically motivated and that the HSS was behind it.
She stressed the HSS only supported milk farmers in demanding that the milk purchase prices be equal to those in Europe.
Milk farmers have been protesting outside the Dukat dairy company in Zagreb and the Sirela dairy company in Bjelovar since last Tuesday, and their protests are spreading to other towns in Croatia.
Farming Minister Tihomir Jakovina told the Croatian Television prime time news on Monday that he hoped that milk producers and representatives of the dairy industry would harmonise their positions at a meeting announced for 22 February, stressing that any form of radical behaviour was unnecessary.
"The Council for the Dairy Industry will convene at 1100 hours on Wednesday. It will be attended by both milk farmers and representatives of the dairy industry, and I hope they will harmonise their positions," the minister said, adding that both sides were close to that.
He stressed than any form of radical behaviour, namely roadblocks, was unnecessary.
The Dukat dairy industry said that its business had suffered great losses because of the protests and roadblocks.
