Murska Sobota - The wheat harvest in Pomurje in the north-east, Slovenia's granary, is over, brining an average amount and quantity. According to Danilo Meolic from the Murska Sobota Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry, wheat is being bought at prices that are "satisfactory and comparable to those in neighbouring countries and other EU countries."

Farmers received EUR 370-390 a tonne for top quality wheat, while wheat for fodder was sold from about EUR 300 a tonne.

Meolic welcomed the government's decision to buy wheat for commodity reserves. "Wheat is the most important crop. It is good that the state will increase commodity reserves, especially in these times of uncertainty when we are in for a food and energy crisis," he said.

Since the state will buy 40,000 tonnes of this year's wheat indented for food, it could also buy the wheat of slightly lower quality, B class, that is also suitable for food, Meolic said. He advised farmers to "sell to the best bidder".

The top quality wheat, class A premium, containing more than 15% of protein, was sold at EUR 370-390 per tonne. The A class wheat fetched the price of between EUR 350 and EUR 355, B1 class was sold for EUR 330-340, B class for EUR 320 and wheat for fodder, C class, was sold for about EUR 300 a tonne.

The Ljutomer Križevci Cooperative, which recently increased its storage capacities, collected 5,000 tonnes of wheat this year. It bought just over a half of it, while the rest was brought in by farmers who decided to store it there and decide on the sale later.

The head of the cooperative, Slavko Petovar, said the cooperative had not decided yet whether to apply to a call for applications of the Agency for Commodity Reserves for the purchase of up to 14,000 tonnes of wheat and up to 26,000 tonnes of wheat that must be stored in Slovenia. The priority criteria will be the lowest price.

"Given the lower prices abroad, which the agency will probably choose to buy the wheat, we will not be able to compete, but we will act responsibly and will not sell wheat in a way that would harm farmers or the cooperative," he said.