BOGATIC, Serbia, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Thousands of Serbian farmers blocked roads across the country with their tractors on Tuesday to demand higher subsidies and protection from cheap imported products such as milk and pork as well as faster payments for their products.
The protests started in Serbia's southwest almost two weeks ago and have spread across the country, with 42 sites targeted on Tuesday.
In Bogatic, a small agricultural town, west of Belgrade, tractors, decorated with national flags, clogged up the main intersection. Farmers said the blockade would remain in place until their demands were met.
"We are ready for anything ... and we will not back down ... as this is the rock bottom," Milan Zorbic, a member of a farmers' association, said, while acknowledging that farmers like him had missed days working the fields while they were mounting the protests.
Dairy farmers say large volumes of imported milk and dairy products, mainly from the EU and the rest of the Western Balkans, are being sold at prices far below what Serbian farmers can sustainably produce, forcing producers towards collapse.
Farmers also say live pigs have sold for far below sustainable levels and that viable prices should be significantly higher to cover costs.
They are seeking higher government subsidies and temporary restrictions or tariffs on some agricultural imports to help level the playing field.
On Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Dragan Glamocic said farmers had failed to come to talks to discuss measures aimed at improving the milk market. Some retailers had pledged to increase the purchases of dairy products from farmers, he said.
The farmers' protests coincide with ongoing nationwide anti-government protests which started in 2024, after 16 people died when a canopy collapsed at a train station. Some of the farmers' placards also called on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to resign.
In 2024, agriculture accounted for 6.1% of Serbia's GDP. The sector makes up 20% of the workforce.
Serbia is a candidate for membership of the European Union and it has committed to harmonise agricultural policies with those of the bloc, including opening of its market to EU products.
(Reporting by Branko Filipovic; Writing by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Alison Williams)
