There is no money in the state budget to meet farmers' demands but the state will help them in other ways, Agriculture Minister Tihomir Jakovina and Finance Minister Slavko Linic said on Monday after hours-long talks with farmers' representatives, who said they would step up the ongoing road blocks.
We have clearly told farmers' representatives that the government will not increase the budget deficit because of their demands and that they cannot expect the budget to be revised to secure funds for meeting their demands, said Minister Linic.
If there is a budget revision, it will be to reduce and not to increase, he added.
Minister Jakovina said the state's obligations towards farmers for 2012 were paid in full and that HRK 2.4 billion was paid this year, adding that claims about hundreds of millions of kuna owed were false.
He said the state would help farmers by rescheduling existing liabilities and through new credit lines for the spring sowing.
Croatian Agricultural Chamber president Matija Brlosic said Linic said there was no money and that the Chamber would ask Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic and President Ivo Josipovic for help.
Farmers' representative Zvonko Pipic said the protesting farmers would step up the road blocks. "We are going for a total blockade," he said, adding that farmers today were unable to reach an agreement with buyers on the wheat price either.
Farmers seek the payment of more than HRK 450 million in late subsidies and a correction of the purchase price for wheat, insisting it should not be under HRK 1.38, the wheat price in 2012.
They also insisted that Milanovic attend today's meeting alongside Jakovina and Linic, threatening a general blockade of roads in Croatia otherwise.
Farmers have been protesting in a number of counties since Wednesday.
