ZAGREB, 14 January 2021 - The Agriculture Ministry said on Thursday its goal was to ensure such conditions that farmers in earthquake-hit areas can keep their cattle through feed donations, cattle relocation and sale mediation, adding that it had mediated the sale of 114 head of cattle to date.
The ministry was asked by Hina about reports of cattle buyers in quake-hit areas, if it was doing anything about it and if it was considering intervention buying to help farmers.
Some media have reported about profiteers coming to Sisak-Moslavina County to exploit the situation after the earthquake by buying land and cattle below price.
The ministry said it was contacting representatives of the meat and dairy industries to ask them to help by buying cattle and milk from local farmers.
The ministry added that it did not participate in price setting between the two parties and that representatives of the meat and dairy industries had said they would offer fair market prices.
The ministry said its department for farmland, plant production and the market was also mediating between farmers in quake-hit areas and buyers.
Regarding intervention buying, the ministry said it was "the last measure of assistance."
Chamber of Agriculture has no information about profiteers
The Croatian Chamber of Agriculture told Hina it had no concrete information about post-earthquake profiteers in Sisak-Moslavina County.
There is information that several older people have sold their cattle below price and left Croatia, "but that is their personal decision and they don't intend to come back to live in Sisak-Moslavina County," the Chamber said, adding that "the price was low due to urgency, not because someone wanted to make additional gain from already affected people."
The Chamber said such sales could not be banned.
