The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) supports disgruntled farmers' protests, which are in their eighth day in most continental counties, and calls for further talks between their representatives and the Agriculture Ministry and the government, the strongest opposition party told reporters in Vinkovci on Wednesday.
HDZ vice president and Vukovar-Srijem County Prefect Bozo Galic accused the government of leading agriculture and farmers into ruin because it did not have development plans or strategic guidelines for this sector.
He said farmers were, therefore, forced to protest and that the HDZ saw the protests as expected and legitimate.
Galic said the two sides should resume talks, acknowledging each other's positions.
The press asked about the difference between current farmers' demands and those when the HDZ was in power, when farmers also protested over a low purchase price of wheat and unpaid subsidies and demanded the resignation of the then agriculture minister.
Galic reiterated that the incumbent government did not have an integral agriculture development strategy and that everyone was entitled to protest.
HDZ official Andrija Matic said that because of lower subsidies family-run farms in Vukovar-Srijem County failed to make HRK 75 million in revenues expected this year as well as HRK 60 million because of a lower wheat price.
Another party official, Zeljko Burazovic, said that because of lower subsidies about 8,000 family-run farms in Brod-Posavina County had made HRK 57 million less in revenue.
