The farmers that have demanded larger drought relief subsidies are pulling their tractors out of the street, but say this doesn’t mean they are giving up their claims.

Sergiu Stefanco, a cultivator from Căușeni, says farmers hoped to see an adequate reaction from the authorities to their peaceful protest, but they have to leave now because they have to work the land. This doesn’t mean though that they have given up, says Stefanco. By leaving, he added, they give the Government a break to find solutions and avoid the situation where even more people take to the street in a month.

Andrei Melinte, a member of the protesters’ committee, said he was offended to be called a “beggar”. “We are not beggars as government representatives call us. We are people that had the courage to start businesses in agriculture with our own forces.” He says farmers don’t ask for the government’s money, they just ask their own money back. Farmers paid a total of 1.8 billion lei in value added tax, Melinte explained. He added that the compensation of 3,000 lei per hectare that farmers demand is enough to cover just 30% of what they invested.

Andrei Melinte went on to say that the protesters have been approached by a number of specialized organization and as a result it has been agreed that an all-inclusive confederation of farmers will be created. A temporary commission has been authorized to go on Monday to the Government and Parliament and insist that all claims are satisfied until September 21. Otherwise, protests might resume in early November.