The Government promises milk producers subventions of 0.50 lei/liter and says the acquisition price will not be smaller than 4 lei/liter. The negotiation unfolded on July 16 after protests of the milk producers, Info-Prim Neo reports. After protesting for an hour in the Great National Assembly Square, the producers' leaders were invited by the Government for talks. The delegates met with Mihai Pop, the head of the Government's apparatus and with agriculture deputy minister Anatolie Spivacenco. The officials promised them the Government would settle the milk price issue next Monday. According to a leader of the protesters, Stanislav Ivanita, the situation of the milk producers has worsened lately. The people are ready to slaughter their animals, as those generate but losses. “The number of cows has dwindled 2.5 times for the last two years. Now there are 120,000 heads recorded, which are kept by 100,000 farmers. Selling milk is their only income source. It's unfair that the producers should get but a fifth of the price, as the rest goes to the dairy producers,” Ivanita says. “Clearly there is an agreement between the dairy 'barons' and the rulers,” Ivanita added. After negotiating for an hour, the Government's representatives promised the situation of the milk producers will be considered and solved. “It's not likely that the government recommends to pay 5 lei for a liter of milk with over 3% of fat, but we hope to get at least 4 lei per liter,” Anatolie Spivacenco said. “The ministry has long ago drafted a law to subsidize milk producers with 0.50 lei per liter, and we hope the draft will be endorsed,” the deputy minister added. On July 14, a group of milk producers met with agriculture minister Anatolie Gorodenco. According to Stanislav Ivanita, the minister would have said that the economic crisis in the country did not allow such increases. The producers vow that, if their problem is not solved next Monday, they will picket the government again. They say they get 1.75 lei for a liter of milk with minimum 3% of fat, while a liter of milk is sold in stores at 6-9 lei per liter.