Farmers continue throughout Serbia blockade of around 80 main roads.
Some blockades last 24 hours, while in some places they last for several hours.
In Smederevska Palanka, the police registered farmers returning from the blockade and citizens who came to support them, reports Mašina.
On the third day, the villagers from the surroundings of Gruža also go to the center of that town and stop traffic from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Farmer Srećko Ranković from the vicinity of Gruža said that during the blockade, which passes without incident, emergency vehicles, intervention vehicles and vehicles with children are allowed to pass.
Ranković said that their action lasts for two hours because there are also organized blockades in several locations from Kraljevo and Čačak towards Kragujevac, some of which are 24-hour.
They don't even want to burden patients going to the Clinical Center in Kragujevac.
After the end of the blockade in Gruža, farmers will join their colleagues at the blockade in Bari, Mrčajevci, said Ranković and added that some meetings are underway today and that he hopes they will "bear fruit".
"We will see if there will be any meetings with the Government, since it seems that the Ministry of Agriculture is not listening to our demands," said Ranković, who was disappointed by yesterday's statements "from the top" that farmers are free to leave production if it is not profitable for them to do so.
Photo: FoNet / Darko ČojićContinuation of blockades
Farmers would rather be in the fields and in the barns than on roadblocks
According to Ranković, none of the farmers are to blame for the fact that they have come to a situation where they are not paid for their whole day's work, because they have improved production with their knowledge and work and are looking to develop in the greatest possible capacity and volume.
"We can't deal with things we don't know how to do, namely import, export, parities on that market. That should be dealt with by the people who are paid for it. They have brought the survival of our production into question," said Ranković.
He added that more will be known about the actions of the following days in Gruza today after the meeting, stressing that citizens should know that farmers would rather be in the fields and in the barns than at the blockades.
"The least we want is what is happening today, to be here on the street and not doing our work. We want to go into our barns, farms. We are starting to sow oats for this weekend. People want to go to the fields, to do their work. We cannot work for nothing and have our future uncertain. We have families, children - we need to know what we are doing," said Ranković.
Speaking about the presence of the police at the roadblocks, he said that there are no problems in Gruza, that they have excellent cooperation with the chief of police in the municipality of Knić.
Photo: FoNet / Darko ČojićThe sixteenth day of the farmers' protest
Legitimizing an attempt at intimidation
He also assessed that the legitimization of farmers at other blockades is an attempt to intimidate, in order to discourage them from going out into the streets.
He said that during the blockade in Gruza there are occasional provocations by citizens, but that they avoid it.
Asked about a possible dialogue with the president of the municipality of Knić, Srećko Ilić, Ranković said that he does not have any knowledge about the work of farmers, nor can he solve the problem, which is at the state level.
Ranković said that the municipality of Knić has shown itself to be someone who absolutely does not develop agriculture, since for three years there has been no incentive for the purchase of machines, the improvement of animal husbandry.
"Another thing is that the budget of the municipality of Knić for agriculture is two million out of a total of 620 million. That's about 0,3 percent. They say - come and talk and negotiate. About what? They can't solve these issues that are for the Government and some other ministries," he said.
Source: FoNet
