Serbian Raspberry Farmers Protest 'Humiliating' Price, Accuse Collectors of Monopoly

Raspberry farmers in Arilje, Serbia, are voicing strong dissatisfaction with the current purchase price of 400 dinars per kilogram, deeming it a "humiliation" and a far cry from last year's 620-630 dinars.

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This is a truly shameful and humiliating price, which the producers absolutely did not deserve.

The "Vilamet" raspberry growers' association organized a protest, rallying producers against what they describe as a monopolistic practice by berry collectors. Lazar Todorović, a farmer from the Arilje area, highlighted the disconnect between increased production costs, from labor to investment, and the offered price. He noted that collectors initially refused to discuss prices, citing the early harvest, but have since settled on a uniform low rate as the season concludes.

Farmers contest the collectors' justification of a plentiful harvest and market "disruption." They point to adverse weather conditions in competing nations like Poland and Ukraine, which have led to significant crop shortages there. This situation, they argue, should naturally increase demand and prices for Serbian raspberries in European markets, where price fluctuations are typically moderate.

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Our competing countries – Poland, Ukraine – have a large deficit because cold weather and frosts have affected them. This means our goods will have higher demand, and a higher price.

Todorović also revealed that some collected raspberries are being valued at significantly lower rates, even as low as 300 dinars, and that collectors are withholding information about the final sale price to end consumers. The farmers are demanding that all previously sold raspberries be compensated at a unified, higher rate. They are also calling for an urgent meeting involving local authorities, the relevant ministry, and the collectors to resolve the issue, citing widespread discontent among producers.

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This is a clear example of monopoly and coordinated cooperation by the cold storage facilities, as they have all come out with the same price.