Farmers are resentful: No one to sell to huge surpluses of wheat and corn

The Association of Farmers „Stig“ has invited Minister of Agriculture Jelena Tanaskovic to offer a solution to the problem of to whom to sell surplus wheat and corn when no one wants to buy them, and when they could sell them, the government banned export.

President of this Association, Nedeljko Savic, told Beta that, according to reliable data, the surplus of wheat at producers’ is about 1.5 million tons, which is half of last year’s yield.

Farmers urged Tanaskovic to come to the meeting in Pozarevac by March 17, otherwise, preparations for the protest would begin.

„Last spring, the price of wheat was more than 40 dinars per kilogram, and the Government of Serbia banned export due to fear of shortages. Now that prices have dropped to below RSD 30 per kilogram, no one buys them and we have a huge problem because we cannot finance spring sowing and storage capacities are almost full, and in three or four months there will be a new harvest,“ Savic said.

The situation will be further aggravated by the extension of the 60-day agreement between Russia and Ukraine on the export of Ukrainian wheat, which will „satiate“ the international market for these products.

State shows no understanding

President of the Independent Association of Farmers of Serbia, Jovica Jaksic, said that farmers were in a huge problem because they did not have money for spring sowing, and that bank loans were too expensive and that new loans were not cost effective.

„We have no money, and sowing a hectare of corn requires a minimum of RSD 150,000, excluding the costs of labor, insurance and amortization. In order to sow a hectare of soybeans, the amount of at least RSD 140,000 is necessary, for sunflower RSD 125,000, and for sugar beet RSD 220,000,“ Jaksic said.

Izvor: Beta

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