The Croatian Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement on Tuesday it had asked the European Commission to continue aid measures for the agricultural sector next year, especially for farmers hard hit by the corona crisis.

Minister of Agriculture Marija Vuckovic has contacted European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski about the struggle against the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that has strongly affected the agricultural sector, drawing attention to the importance of urgent continuation of the implementation of proposed aid measures for farmers, the statement said.

The statement said that business conditions were considerably hampered and that there had been additional market disruptions in short supply chains which could lead to even more serious financial problems and further reduce production and liquidity in the agricultural sector.

The ministry suggested continuation of temporary exceptional support for farmers and small and medium enterprises especially affected by the Covid-19 crisis and continuation of crisis measures relating to support for private wine storage, support for wine distillation and support for private pork storage.

Minister Vuckovic said she believed “in the successful continuation of cooperation with the European Commission which has so far been productive and prompt in dealing with problems in the agricultural sector so as to accelerate the application of proposed aid measures for our farmers in these challenging times.”

“In the time ahead additional steps should be taken to help producers and reduce the negative effects of this crisis on the market and preserve agricultural production,” Vuckovic said.