The Association “Force of Farmers” asks to urgently convoke the Supreme Security Council to discuss the modification of the Food Security Strategy so as not to allow dominant positions in such sectors as the production, keeping, processing and sale of agrifood products. The farmers make reference to the recent significant increases in the price of vegetal oil, noting that it goes either to abuse of dominant position by a processor or to a cartel agreement by large commercial chains, IPN reports.

Representatives of the Association expressed their concern about the rises in the price of oil, describing the phenomenon as dangerous given that the rises occur amid the considerable decline in the prices of sunflower seeds the past two months following the massive import of raw material from Ukraine at lower prices.

“The last case eloquently showed Moldova’s food vulnerability to a low number of companies that are preliminarily controlled from outside the country, including offshore areas. Amid the world food crisis expected in the near future, the risks for our country grow enormously. The Association noted that the keeping, transportation and export of grain and oleaginous plants and the processing of particular food products are controlled by one business entity with multiple affiliated enterprises registered in areas where the international financial transparency standards are not respected,” runs a statement issued by the Association.

The farmers said that several agro-holdings have expanded alarming the last few years. They now own tens of thousands of hectares of farmland and intend to also control the production process in agriculture.

The Association “Force of Farmers” considers the Supreme Security Council should urgently discuss the modification of the Food Security Strategy so that this bans dominant positions in the sector. The farmers also ask to immediately amend the legislation on the protection of competition and introduce priority and shorter procedures for investigating abuses and cartel agreements on the agrifood market and to double fines for such violations.

Representatives of the Association also ask to exclusive subsidize small and medium-sized farmers and their cooperatives so as to increase, keep and process strategic crops for food security. They also ask to ban companies controlled directly or indirectly from offshore areas from renting farmland in the Republic of Moldova. The farmers consider the state reserves should be enlarged by purchasing the necessary quantities of wheat, corn, vegetal oil and sugar from national producers.