Pig farmers say government's inflation measures have missed the mark

According to the State Statistics Bureau inflation in February stood at 12%, which is slightly higher than the projected 11.9%. When compared to February of last year the price of food goods went up by 17.1%. Last week government adopted a new package of measures to combat spiraling inflation, including price caps on some food items and a one-off payment in April for the most vulnerable members of society. However, the €1.7 billion package does not cover gas and electricity prices.

Government's latest package of measures aimed at mitigating the effects of inflation includes prices caps on a series of food goods, including imperial pork meat, at a price of €3.79 per kilogram. And while the price cap has been welcomed by consumers, pig farmers have pointed out that it would be better to increase domestic production and not rely so much on imports. The president of the Croatian Association of Pig Farmers, Krešimir Kuterovac: "When you have production, then in a way you can influence the price in Croatia. Right now it is illusory to expect that government or anyone else can affect prices, because prices are established abroad and depend on a series of factors."

Meanwhile, pork production in Croatia continues to fall on an annual basis due to the import of cheap pork from the EU. Ernest Nad from the village of Vladislavci near Osijek: "Unfortunately I had to stop producing due to the massive disparity in the production cycle, in which the price of grains and other components in pig feed began growing sharply, while at the same time the price of pork began falling."

However, the Union's restrictive Green agenda coupled with its common agricultural policy will reduce production in the EU as well, resulting in additional price increases from foreign producers. Mirko Kolić is a pig farmer from the village of Budrovci near Đakovo: "If there is shortage we will be able to market our product abroad for a higher price, but this isn't good. I don't want to do that. I want my pork to stay in the Croatian market for Croatian consumers."

Source: HRT