Dairy farmers expand list of demands, awaiting session of the BiH Council of Ministers

Dairy farmers from the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska held a meeting today where they expanded the list of demands for the BiH Council of Ministers, which should protect domestic production, otherwise they will organize mass protests, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

At the meeting in Bosanska Gradiška, representatives of the management boards of associations of agricultural producers and dairy farmers of Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH adopted six new demands.

They relate to the introduction of a protective price on which duties will be charged on imports of milk, dairy products and meat products, the abolition of import quotas on agricultural products and live animals until conditions in primary agricultural production are equalized with those of the European Union (EU). 

One of the demands is to ensure the export of milk, dairy products and meat products to Russia and Turkey, via EU territory by the end of the year, verification of meat imports under approved quotas and control of all issued certificates, as well as equalizing the price of veterinary inspection per truck on imports with the price of inspection on exports to the EU, and extending the maturity of loans placed by the Investment and Development Bank of Republika Srpska and the Development Bank of the Federation of BiH. 

Earlier, it was told to the Patria agency that if the BiH Council of Ministers does not adopt the producers' demands, other measures will be taken, including blockades of border crossings in BiH and BiH institutions.

Since November 12, dairy farmers have been at customs terminals, seeking to prevent excessive milk imports into BiH.