Milk producers in central Serbia to protest and spill milk, demanding introduction of levies

Several hundred milk producers from central Serbia, dissatisfied with the price, purchase and large imports of milk, will block the roads in Mrcajevci and Knic with tractors today, near the Ravni gaj hotel on the Kragujevac - Kraljevo road, representatives of several associations from that region told Beta yesterday.

They also plan to spill several hundred liters of milk, demanding that the state introduce levies (protective taxes) in order to reduce the import of milk and dairy products and protect domestic production.

A member of the Sumadija and Pomoravlje Milk Producers Association, Predrag Veljkovic, stated that the association, together with the Sajkaca association from Cacak, will block the main road in the center of Mrcajevci from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM because the situation in milk production is “ten times worse than in 2023, when levies were introduced.”

– As of this morning, the price of one producer, who sells 21 tons of milk per month, has been reduced by ten dinars at the Lazar dairy, as well as one who sells 55 tons per month at the Ubska dairy. The Jastrebacki eko biseri dairy has canceled the purchase for one producer – Veljkovic told Beta.

He points out that the producers of these associations are demanding the urgent introduction of quotas and levies for the import of milk and dairy products and their control at the border, and the continuation of the purchase in the dairies that have interrupted it.

Veljkovic says that some buyers pay 25 to 27 dinars for milk, and that the highest price is around 55 dinars per liter.

He states that they do not want to talk to the Minister of Agriculture, Dragan Glamocic, because, according to Veljkovic, “if he had wanted to help them, he would have helped them by now.”

– We only spoke to Glamocic once, when he was appointed to the ministerial position, and after that he declared our association a political organization and put it on his “black list” and refused requests for a conversation, and then he did not even respond - said Veljkovic.

They are ready, he added, to discuss the problem with Prime Minister Djuro Macut if he shows interest in it.

The president of the Association of Cattle Breeders of Central Serbia, Milija Palamarevic, says that around 300 producers from that association will block the road with tractors near the Ravni Gaj hotel in Knic on the Kragujevac - Kraljevo road at around 1:00 PM.

According to him, the producers will also spill milk in front of a company that is a large importer of milk and dairy products.

Palamarevic says that some buyers pay less than 20 dinars for a liter of milk.

He points out that producers are demanding the introduction of levies on the import of milk and dairy products and that they are willing to wait ten days, and if the state refuses to protect them, they will continue to protest by pouring manure in front of retail chains.

UDRUŽENJE PROIZVOĐAČA MLEKA ŠUMADIJE I POMORAVLJA

Predrag Veljković