Today, the Government of Serbia passed the Decree on the extraordinary intervention measure of support to flour producers and determined 160 million dinars for those purposes.
The support refers to producers registered to perform the activity of milling on November 15, 2021, and who delivered flour in packages up to five kilograms (including five kilograms) of the “T-400 smooth” and “T-500” type.
In that way, the current volume of flour production will be maintained and a potential disturbance on the market that could lead to a shortage will be prevented, the government announced.
Also, members of the government amended the Decision on temporary restriction of exports of basic agri-food products important for the population, which in order to facilitate the export of this type of product now introduces quantitative restrictions on exports on a quarterly basis instead of monthly, as previously planned.
This measure was adopted in order to prevent shortages of these products.
The Ministry of Agriculture has approved three-month export quotas for wheat
At the suggestion of the grain association, the Minister of Agriculture Branislav Nedimović approved that the export quotas be quarterly instead of monthly, said today the advisor to the Minister of Agriculture Goran Đaković and pointed out that this would significantly facilitate logistics for producers.
Djakovic told Tanjug regarding the request of the farmers’ association from Pancevo and Dolovo that the state buy 200,000 tons of wheat for commodity reserves at a price of 50 dinars per kilogram, that such a thing is not realistic at the moment.
“Especially now that the price of wheat is favorable on the market, which ranges between 38 and 40 dinars, and farmers are now certainly working with a profit,” said Djakovic, adding that he would not agree that the price of wheat on the market is 50 dinars. some forecasts from the stock exchange make it difficult to reach 45 dinars.
The advisor to the minister states that the Commodity Reserves will buy as much wheat as needed.
“The price is not problematic, since it is a measure that the state uses to stabilize the market, and the harvest has yet to begin, and it will be seen what the yields, supply and demand will be,” he said.
That is why he advises producers to wait and see what the prices will be, because, as he says, wheat is a commodity and there is no need for the state to interfere.
Djakovic reminded that the situation in Ukraine certainly partially affects the situation on the market.
He adds that Serbia has enough silos and capacities in them, as well as that there should be no problems such as mixing old and new wheat, because everyone should take care of that.
The advisor to the minister stated that wheat was sown on 632,000 hectares, which is 32,000 more than last year, when the yields were around 3.5 million tons.
“This year, five tons per hectare or 3.2 million tons are expected, and the most important message is that we will have enough food, primarily flour,” Djakovic emphasized, RTV reports.
