The tractors brought by the farmers affected by drought to the Great National Assembly Square honked again their horns on December 14. The farmers said that even if they have protested since summer and last week also brought their machinery to the square before the Government Building, they haven’t yet received a response from the authorities. The farmers are ready to protest in the central square of Chisinau until they are heard.

Ion Plămădeală, a farmer from southern Moldova, said that after they brought their agricultural machinery to the center of Chisinau on December 9, no one came to have a dialogue with the famers, neither from the Government, nor from the Ministry of Agriculture. The officials should have reacted so that the farmers didn’t have to take their tractors to the central square. The head of the responsible parliamentary commission promised they will get a response to their demands, but the farmers do not yet have it.

Ion Plămădeală noted that if there was a dialogue with the authorities, the farmers would be able to formulate proposals for solving the faced problems. “It is not our task to look for solutions. The authorities, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government should look for solutions. They should deal with the problem we mention. We grow wheat and cultivate this land that feeds us all. We are ready to propose solutions,” stated the farmer.

Vadim Ciobanu, a farmer from Rezina district, said the situation is difficult and the farmers had to raise new loans. “The situation related to plowing is bad. Even those who finished plowing have huge debts. We borrowed 1.4 million lei, securing the future harvest as the banks this year started to release money for the harvest of next year. Everything was put up as collateral,” stated the farmer.

Vladimir Gumăniță, a farmer from Leova district, said they will protest in central Chisinau until they are heard. He lost 99% of the made investments of 7 million lei. The state provided compensation for the first-group grain corps, while for the second-group grain crops it did not. This is disrespect for the hundreds of people who work in the agricultural sector.

The farmers are to mount a large-scale protest in central Chisinau on December 15, starting at 11am.