Some farmers in east Slavonia on Thursday blocked with their tractors a road towards the Zupanja-Orasje border crossing to express their protest against the measures which the government is taking to curb African Swine Fever (ASF).

The protest is being organised by an initiative that introduces itself as the team for the defence of Croatian farmers and by the recently founded trade union of employees in the agricultural sector in Slavonia and Baranja.

The disgruntled farmers demand putting out of force the Agriculture Ministry’s orders, stopping the euthanisation of pigs and abolishment of categorisation of facilities where they are kept, lifting the ban on pig slaughter, ensuring monthly compensation for farmers whose pigs have been eutahnised until they get back on their feet, and enabling trade in uninfected pigs.

Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic said on Wednesday that strict regulations had to be followed in combating ASF and that demands that did not contribute to the prevention of the disease could not be met.

“We must comply with the rules. In the current situation, when there is an economically difficult disease that spreads easily, with the current breeding conditions and the situation in the neighbourhood, in addition to complying with the existing regulations, we must make additional decisions to curb the disease and help the pig farming sector recover,” she said yesterday.

On Wednesday, some of the protesting farmers already arrived at the Zupanja road towards the border crossing with Bosnia and Herzegovina and they were supported by MPs Nikola Grmoja of the Most party and Marijan Pavlicek of the Sovereignists.