Serbia：Tobacco Farmers Back in Front of Government

Source from:  B92, Beta 03/11/2009

Tobacco farmers are again protesting in front of the Serbian government this Monday in Belgrade, asking that subsidy regulations be withdrawn. The farmers are also asking for bonuses for Burley and Oriental tobacco for 2008, in keeping with a CEFTA action plan, said Milorad Antonić, president of the Tobacco Growers Association. The farmers are asking that the decision to subsidize tobacco farming be pulled, "as it would contribute to the disappearance of tobacco farming in Serbia". They are dissatisfied with the Ministry of Agriculture's proposal that tobacco farming be subsidized by RSD 32,000 per hectare for every tobacco-planted field registered last year. The rally was secured by police and traffic in that part of Belgrade was running normally. According to an announcement, members of the Parliament Council for Agriculture will receive the farmers' representatives, while they will submit their demands to President Boris Tadić as well. Enditem