Farmers in Serbia have escalated their two-week-long protests, blocking dozens of regional and local roads across the country with tractors and farm machinery.
The protests started on February 11 from milk producers in central Serbia and gradually spread to other areas, with the participation of about 30 agricultural associations.
They oppose imports and demand protective measures
Farmers are protesting against imports of agricultural products, demanding a ban on the import of milk powder used by the industry to produce pasteurized milk. They also demand high tariffs on imported dairy and meat products.
Their representatives denounce that agricultural products of low quality and cheap prices are entering the Serbian market, which, according to them, is lowering prices in the market and making it impossible for local farmers to sell their products. They propose a temporary ban on imports until the market situation stabilizes.
Fresh milk crisis
The low price of fresh milk is a long-standing problem for Serbian farmers. The situation has worsened recently due to the glut in the market due to imports, causing some dairies to stop or limit the purchase of local milk.
“We are not asking for subsidies or money, but a temporary suspension of imports, so that the market can be regulated and people can make a living through their work,” Milan Pajič, representative of the association of milk producers, declared to the media.
Government reaction
The government, in response to the protests, initially tried to present them as politically motivated. However, following the spread of large-scale blockades, the authorities have called on farmers for dialogue.
The Minister of Agricultural Development, Dragan Glamočič, stated in a press conference that, with the intervention of the government, the large milk processing industry will be required to gradually increase the amount of milk purchase, returning it to pre-crisis levels.
He also announced that local agricultural products sold in the country’s supermarkets will have a visible mark indicating that they were produced in Serbia. However, farmers remain skeptical, describing these measures as “maneuvers and attempts to deceive”. According to them, due to the economic crisis that is affecting society, consumers will choose the cheapest imported products, even if they are of lower quality.
Agricultural associations warn that the blockades will continue until their demands are fully met.
