For the fourth day in a row, the raspberry growers of Bijelo Polje blocked the roundabout in Ribarevine and the roads to Bije Polje and Prijepolje, Berane and Podgorica, outraged by the relationship between the Government and Prime Minister Dritan Abazović.
During the protest, from 12:13 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. today, kilometer-long columns of vehicles were formed from all directions.
This group of people has been protesting for days because of the impossibility of selling 350 tons of raspberries that are trapped in cold storages and because the Ministry of Agriculture "doesn't listen to their problems".
In addition to cold storage, the raspberry farmers were also supported by livestock farmers.
Andrija Delić, president of the Polimlja Association of Grape Growers, said that the protests will continue tomorrow, after which, most likely, they will move the protests in front of the Government building, in order to make it easier for Prime Minister Abazović to listen to them, even from the window.
"It seems that we are cut off in the north. The best thing is for them to put a wire across Crkvin, fence us off and say 'you are now some sort of reserve'. We have come to a situation where we either have to move from the north and put out our fireplaces. This ignoring of us for days is extremely inappropriate and arrogant. We work here and we are the 'last Mohicans' who have not left and who are fighting in the north, and we will not leave," Delić said.
He pointed out that in the last two years the crop has almost doubled, and that with an average increase in production costs of around 250 percent, the only acceptable price is 4.30 euros.
"If we take into account that preparations have become more expensive by 250 percent, fertilizers by 300 percent, the labor force by one hundred percent, and the yield per hectare is on average instead of 8 or 10 tons, now it is 3,5 or 4 tons. That is not the price of 4.30 euros, but it is price 1.80 for that quantity," said Delic, emphasizing that.
From the authorities, it doesn't matter which one, Delić noted, farmers from the north are remembered when various campaigns are launched.
"Then they scatter around the villages and hug and kiss the calves as much as they can. But that's only while the campaign lasts. They call various farmers, planters, 'can we take a picture, let's come,'" said Delic, saying that all the presidential candidates are unwanted to come to just to take a photo.
Nedović: DPS employed sons in the police, they don't need raspberries
Unlike Delić, raspberry grower Vuko Nedović from Prijelog believes that the presidential candidates should be included, some of whom, like Andrija Mandić, promise hills and valleys in the north.
"Anyway, some of them think that tomorrow they will get our vote when they treat us like this. The only thing I think is that there is no DPS here because they won't come, they were scared. And they employed their sons in the police so that they they don't need raspberries. I tell all of them, especially Mandić, who promises hills and valleys. This is not just a question of what we will do in the future, we already don't have a bag of flour to buy, let alone funds for raspberries, and I don't know how the authorities think that we will survive. They they are all there together, drunkards, eating and drinking, and the people are stupid," said Nedović.
Mrdak: Cattle farmers next to raspberry growers
Andrija Delić said that livestock farmers were brought to the brink of ruin by the latest agricultural measures.
"With the latest agro measures, they want to put three kilos of cheese into the fiscal coffers for livestock farmers. To issue them invoices. They say they issue them to hotels and markets, so all these years their sales are based on sales to hotels and markets. It's like we're Palma De Mallorca", Delic said.
The representative of the Union of Cattle Breeders, Ljubo Mrdak from Tomaševo, confirmed that livestock farmers are treated badly.
"Raspberry orchards have been destroyed, the new season is starting and we don't know what to do, we won't have any raspberry planting or anything. That's what awaits us. The agricultural budget is designed so that all the money is collected by new employees in the ministry, there is nothing for us," he said. .
One of the largest producers of blackberries in Montenegro, Gojko Nedović, said that an uncertain season awaits them as well, although he charged for his goods, due to the purchase.
"Because I won't be able to collect blackberries because of the bad attitude towards raspberry growers and cold storage, and we will all have a problem. If they want, they have dozens of ways to solve the problem of cold storage, from subsidies for electricity, for oil to producers, but there is no will," said Nedović. , adding that he proposes complete blockades, until the demands are met.
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