Vojvodina farmers park tractors roadside to send warning message

Since Thursday morning tractors have been parked at the Futog-Kisac-Backi Petrovac-Rumenka intersection and at several other locations in Vojvodina. The farmers said they will remain there at least until the negotiations with the government conclude, and explained that they are not planning to block the roads but to send a warning message and show support for their colleagues negotiating with the government.

Subotica farmers are set to meet Thursday with Agriculture Minister Aleksandar Martinovic, representatives of the Prime Minister's office, and advisors to the Serbian President. This meeting follows Monday and Tuesday’s road blockades, which led to some farmers being taken in for questioning by the Security Intelligence Agency (BIA).

They say any further actions will depend on the outcome of the talks in Belgrade.

The farmers are demanding that the Serbian government provide specific dates for meeting their requests. These include a moratorium on all agricultural loans, a payment of 17,000 dinars (1 euro – 117 dinars) per hectare for certified seeds without requiring purchase receipts, excise-free fuel at all gas stations in 2025, regulation of the commodity exchange.

One of the protesting farmers, Janko Hrcan, told N1 that they are demanding the dismissal of the minister of agriculture.

“We need someone with expertise, knowledge, and skill in that role. Right now, we have a minister who works against agriculture,” he told N1.

“We are farmers, and we are furious that the minister is slandering us, calling us spies, slackers, and traitors. That makes us very angry. We are farmers – we feed him, we feed the people of this country. He, the government, and this state should be ashamed,” said Hrcan.