The Nikšić mill and Montemlin have confirmed the purchase of 6.000 tons of wheat from France, which, as Montemlin owner Žarko Rakčević said, will reach Montenegro by ship in about two weeks, which would prevent a shortage of flour after the Serbian government's decision to ban the export of wheat and flour.
Rakčević said that its price will be lower than the one purchased from Serbia, which is why he expects that this will also cause a slight decrease in flour prices in Montenegro.
He explained that wheat from France is cheaper than wheat from Serbia because of the exchange rate between the euro and the dinar, which many believe is overvalued, and because of the purchase of a large quantity.
"Ship transport is very expensive, but it is still cheaper than rail transport from Vojvodina to Montenegro, which is absurd," he said.
The procurement of wheat contracted by the Montenegrin millers will, he said, contribute to the stabilization of the domestic market and prices, and Rakčević hopes that in the meantime the government will find a way to help.
"We already had contacts and we can expect to deliver certain quantities from some closer destinations," he said.
A shortage or a jump in prices can happen before the wheat arrives from France, because many bakers, who used to buy flour from Serbia, only have supplies for a day or two.
"The stocks we have are not too large and if the government does not decide to help, there could be problems. We expect that they will somehow get wheat and employ domestic mills or that they will import flour. It would be best if they did both." said Goran Kalezić, the owner of the Jastreb mill and bakery in Spu.
He said that he supplies most of the Montenegrin bakers with flour, and that he knows that they only have supplies for a day or two.
The decision of the Government of Serbia caught millers and bakers by surprise. We have decades of business cooperation with suppliers from Serbia, on whom we have completely relied
Serbia protects its market
Serbia decided to ban the export of flour and wheat in order to stabilize its own market, which was threatened by excessive exports. The Serbian Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Dušan Petrović, said that the Government had consulted with the European Union before making such a decision, as well as taking into account Serbia's obligations under the CEFTA agreement.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Tarzan Milošević, said yesterday that the Government of Serbia violated the CEFTA agreement by banning the export of wheat and flour to Montenegro, because it had not previously informed its Montenegrin colleagues.
He said that this will not lead to a shortage of flour and wheat in Montenegro, because the supplies are sufficient.
As we announced earlier, we expect that the price of bread will rise at the beginning of April, because the price of bread has also risen in the surrounding area.
When asked whether the new quantities of flour and wheat will be purchased at higher prices, Milosevic replied that they will not be more expensive than those from Serbia.
"As we announced earlier, we expect that the price of bread will rise at the beginning of April, because it has also risen in price in the surrounding area," said Milošević.
We need to understand that bread is no longer a social category, and that we should not talk too much about its price
"We have to understand that bread is no longer a social category, and that we should not talk too much about its price. It depends on stock market goods and we have to adapt. The price of flour, and therefore bread, is dictated by the stock market and at this moment the price is not decisive, more important is not to run out of raw materials for bread. We certainly cannot influence the price, so we should try to prevent a shortage," Kalezić said.
"Vijesti" did not receive a response from the Ministry of Agriculture of Serbia yesterday regarding the accusations by Milošević.
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