Zitounija: State owes RSD 283 million to millers, it is paying RSD 160
Director of the business association of millers „Zitounija“ Zdravko Sajatovic has said that the state will pay the millers a debt of 160 million dinars in two months due to the difference in the price between market prices and frozen prices for T-400 and T-500 flour in packages of one to five kilograms.
„Last week, the Government of Serbia approved funds for the payment of the debt for February and March of RSD 160 million, and the total debt from the beginning of February to the beginning of June is RSD 283 million,“ Sajatovic said.
According to him, the national commodity reserves delivered wheat to millers at the price of 23 dinars in December last year and January this year, and after that they were forced to buy it on the market at prices of 35 to 39 dinars per kilogram, and the price of flour remained at the same level from November last year, so this product was sold below the price of production.
Calculations of Zitounija Association: How much is owed to millers?
He added that from the beginning of February this year until the beginning of June, the mills delivered 23,552 tons of flour to the market and that the calculation showed that the state owed them 283 million for that period based on the difference between the restricted and market price of flour of 12 dinars per kilogram. The mills had to supply certain quantities of flour to the market because, otherwise, they would be penalized.
According to Sajatovic, the millers would need about RSD 40 billion to buy a million tons of wheat this year and they do not have that much money because, in addition to the freezing of prices, free export was banned for almost two months.
“That is why they will have to buy wheat for shorter periods. For the purchase of wheat for 3-month-needs of about 300,000 tons they need 10-12 billion dinars,“ said Sajatovic.
Millers, as they said, will not easily opt for bank loans either, because interest rates are above ten percent.
Izvor: Beta
Foto: Pixabay
