Sisak to Become Bio-Diesel Production Centre

Sisak-Moslavina County earmarked additional resources for stimulation for the planting of oil rape in 2007.

Sisak-Moslavina County wishes to become the regional centre for the production of bio-diesel, so it has earmarked additional subsidy funds in the 2007 budget for the planting of oil rape, which is used to produce the alternative fuel. 

Subsidies should amount to 2,750 kuna per hectare

Mirjana Petir, deputy Sisak-Moslavina County prefect, forwarded to the Agriculture Ministry a request for the increase in subsidies for the planting of oil rape from the current 2,250 kuna per hectare to 2,550 kuna.

-- Along with our 200 kuna subsidy, the amount would reach 2,750 kuna per hectare, which would be acceptable to our farmers. We have large agricultural lands of ten, 20, even 30 hectares, so a good salary can be earned from this. Nobody would want to become involved in such an enterprise without an increase in subsidies, since oil rape is a very demanding plant. – Petir stressed.

Closeness of Ozalj and Zagreb is ideal

Sisak-Moslavina County is ideal for the cultivation of oil rape due to an excess of uncultivated agricultural land, Petir says.

-- Of the 185,455 hectares of land, 72,268 hectares are uncultivated. Our only problem is subsidies and I hope the Agriculture Ministry will grant us the increase. Moreover, EU directives on the increase of the share of bio-diesel in fuel are applied to Croatia. I believe that our county is ideal for the cultivation of oil rape because the bio-diesel production plant iz in Ozalj, which is nearby, and so is Zagreb, which will be the largest consumer of bo-diesel in public transport. – Petir stressed.