By STA
The cereals sales commission will propose to the government to purchase all wheat Slovenian farmers will harvest this year, and then sell it on to millers during the year. Slovenian farmers will grow 100,000 tonnes of wheat suitable for food in 2022, the commission’s head Franc Küčan said after its Wednesday session in Ljutomer.
There are also foreign buyers interested in Slovenian wheat, but Küčan said that “farmers would like to sell Slovenian wheat to Slovenian millers”.
This is why they call on all Slovenian buyers to enter talks with cooperatives to discuss the conditions, quality parameters and contracts.
For farmers not to sell below cost, a tonne of the lowest quality wheat should be at least EUR 330 and a tonne of best wheat EUR 410, the commission agreed.
“If the buyers, that is millers, and the government do not follow our price proposals, and if foreign buyers appear who are willing to pay more, farmers will also follow the principles of the single European market and free movement of goods and we will sell to whoever is more favourable,” Küčan said.
Data shows there will be less wheat in Europe than initially expected this year. The amount and quality will be average everywhere, including Slovenia, Küčan said. These forecasts are based on the first results of the barley harvest, which has a lower yield and not exceptionally high quality.
The commission consists of representatives of wheat growers, the Farmers’ Trade Union, the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry and the Slovenian Cooperatives Association.
It met to analyse the situation in the European countries that have been hit by drought, which has promoted these countries to rush with harvesting. Wheat harvest is in Slovenia expected to start around 5 July. Wheat markets around the globe have been additionally hit this year by the war in Ukraine and the rising energy prices.