Farmer ahead of protest: Our livelihoods are at stake, no more negotiations

Farmers have announced a tractor protest for Monday at noon in front of the Vojvodina Government and Assembly buildings, citing unfulfilled demands related to fuel, loans, commodity exchanges, and debts to the Pension and Disability Fund. The final straw, they say, was the news that companies building facilities for EXPO have been exempted from fuel excise taxes.

Filipovic said that years of neglect by the relevant ministry, combined with the pressures of climate change, have led to this breaking point.

“If the government wants to keep food affordable for citizens, it has to support farmers,” Filipovic told N1.

He pointed out that farmers in neighboring countries all have access to excise-free diesel, unlike those in Serbia.

Among the farmers’ demands are loans with a one percent interest rate, he noted.

“This is the third or fourth bad year for agriculture. Every year, we are operating at a loss, our debts are piling up, and more and more small-scale farmers are giving up production,” Filipovic emphasized.

The goal of the Monday protest is to show that farmers can no longer bear the burden alone.

“Ninety percent of farmers are in debt. There will be no more negotiations. We will lay out our problems, our demands have been on the table since 2022, and we want the Ministry and the Government to show the will to address them,” the farmer said.

Filipovic announced that speeches are planned in front of the Vojvodina Provincial Government headquarters, where farmers will arrive with their machinery.

If nothing changes afterward, Filipovic did not rule out repeating the strike, though he said decisions about further actions would be made on the go.