Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic visited Sisak-Moslavina County on Tuesday and said that farmers are worried about the high price of mineral fertiliser and that this is being discussed at the European level to find a solution.

Vuckovic visited the County Fair of Agriculture and Rural Development in Sisak and the Mate Lovrak Primary School in Petrinja, where she participated in a breakfast with honey from Croatian bee farms.

Asked by reporters if problems with supplying the market with nitrogen fertilizer can be expected, Vuckovic said that there are no major problems with supplies so far, but fertiliser prices have increased significantly.

She said that that situation is worrying farmers and that is also being discussed at the European level because the security of energy, fertilizer and food supplies is a priority.

Vuckovic said that projects from the rural development programme were contracted in the amount of HRK 1.3 billion with the aim of revitalising agriculture and that HRK 1.1 billion of that has been paid.

“After all the challenges and the disastrous earthquake, we initially provided veterinary care, advisory assistance to farmers and prepared projects and grants of small value in order to mitigate the consequences, and launched an investment cycle to revive the economy. To date, 153 projects have been contracted,” she said.

She announced that in the next programme period, Croatia will have the opportunity to absorb €3.8 billion through a national strategic plan which has been sent to the European Commission for approval.

“The fair was an opportunity for family farms to learn about financing their activities through the Ministry of Agriculture, Sisak-Moslavina County and EU funds… The county will continue to help family farms to market their products,” County Prefect Ivan Celjak said.

The agricultural fair was organised with the use of EU funds and was aimed at presenting the possibilities of agricultural production in the county.

The honey breakfast in Petrinja was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and the Croatian Beekeeping Association, in order to encourage students to consume honey, a nutritious product from Croatian apiaries.