God, Forgive Her

In our column ‘Duel’, minister of agriculture and forestry, answers to Marijana Petir

During the past several days, even months, the political stage becomes more and more active. Words are not chosen in order to slander or discredit somebody. Subjects are not important as long as you can ‘punch’.

Best examples, closest to me, are those in agriculture. Nobody asks sugar producers how do they feel about a certain decision, but politicians are those who have been asked and who claim that it is a nuisance, because one sugar factory has to be closed, saying everything that comes to mind.

They had a chance to interfere

The latest example is the urgent buyoff of pigs which was decided in December. Following the situation in production, it was predicted that discrepancies on the market could occur and the pork price could be reduced that would cause great damage to producers.

Some have heard that the buyoff would happen and now it is said that it was organised because they asked for it. Let me remind you of the year 2003 and disastrous drought when the prices were exceedingly low and we didn’t interfere so farmers suffered great damage. If we ever have had to interfere, we should have interfered then.

I had to do what former minister didn’t

One of the first tasks I was faced with at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry was live stock emergency buyoff. A new minister had to do what former didn’t, and on the market there is no delay. This is the fifth intervention on the live stock market in the last three years. By the year 2000 almost all ministers had such a buyoff, even in 2004.

It only didn’t happen in the period from 2000 to 2003, and this means something, doesn’t it?

There are some situations that show ignorance and not monitoring situation in agriculture. The best example for t his is when some says that they will intercede for getting 2.5 billion kuna to agriculture. They ought to know that that amount of money is already given out and that the budget is bigger by a billion than in 2003.

It seems that everything they ask for or advocate already exists, so give us something new!

A worse situation is when farmers are told malicious news that farm price support will be banned. Not only that it is banned, but the prices are higher and higher each year, and farmers recognise it.

…’when I become a minister of agriculture and forestry’… a lady from a marginal political party announced presumptuously. She said it at a meeting,  lecturing all those present.

And she is even theologically educated

When she has nothing to say, she starts to offend, ‘Claiming that somebody is ‘mad’ is not a problem today, and that applies to ‘all of them’.’

Everything said by now is nothing but a trifle for all that had been said because it came from the person who should not allow herself something like that, she has even been theologically educated.

God, forgive her.