Ludbreg to host protest against poultry megafarms in Croatia

A large-scale protest is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2026, in Ludbreg, Croatia, organized by the Građanska inicijativa Apatija. The demonstration aims to oppose the construction of a massive poultry megafarm in Apatija and the broader expansion of industrial megafarms and slaughterhouses across the country.

The planned facility in the Apatija Entrepreneurial Zone is expected to house 10 intensive poultry production buildings with a total capacity of 558,210 birds per cycle. This would result in over three million chickens annually, accounting for nearly 10 percent of Croatia's total production. Organizers note that the project is located approximately 400 meters from residential homes and the Bednja River.

In anticipation of the protest, the “Prava cijena megafarmi” (The True Price of Mega-farms) traveling exhibition, organized by Zelena akcija and Prijatelji životinja, has opened in Ludbreg. The exhibition highlights the resistance of European communities to industrial farming and addresses concerns regarding impacts on public health, the environment, local economies, and animal welfare.

Activists warn that two foreign investors plan more than 20 megafarms and slaughterhouses in Croatia, with a combined capacity exceeding 200 million chickens per year. They argue that these projects are being assessed individually without considering their cumulative impact on water resources, soil, traffic, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste management.