The problems experienced by farmers should be addressed individually as they differ from north to south and from east to west. In this regard, the state should clearly realize where and how it can become involved without affecting other sectors of the economy, agricultural policy expert Iurie Rija, executive director of the Association of Exporters and Importers of Agricultural Products and Grain “Agrocereale”, stated in a public debate staged by IPN.
According to him, the banks can help the farmers who encounter problems, but based on an individual approach, depending on credit history, on the client’s relations with the bank. The climatic factors affected mostly the farmers from the southeastern districts. An expert mission should be organized to analyze the situation and to pronounce on it and on possible solutions.
As to farmers’ demand to stop grain imports from Ukraine, Iurie Rija said that a small quantity of grain has been imported in the recent past and this demand is not fully justified now. Imports were smalls and went through ports and that grain is not even used in Moldova. “I don’t want to suggest that this movement is politicized, but I have reservations in this regard sometimes,” stated the expert.
Many of the protesting farmers invoke the method of setting the market price of grain as they consider this is incorrect. Iurie Rija said the price is mainly influenced by the quotations on commodity exchanges in Chicago or Constanta, for example, and both the producers and the traders should realize this.
According to the expert, the quotations on exchanges should be taken as a basic rule by traders and by producers and this factor should not be ignored. Sometimes, when the prices are advantageous, the producers invoke the quotations, but when these are less advantageous, they avoid making reference to international quotations.
The agricultural policy expert considers that the authorities’ attitude to farmers is appropriate and that effort is being made to support this sector. “I see a beneficial attitude from the state. I don’t consider the state ignores the farmers by the offered conditions, by the adopted laws or the taken measures. It is noteworthy that over 300 million lei was allocated from the national budget for refunding the VAT namely for farmers, not for exporters or traders. I welcome and respect this and support the fact that they are entitled to seek rights and this sector should be supported, but not over the state’s possibilities or to the detriment of other sectors,” stated Iurie Rija.
The public debate entitled “What do farmers want? What can Government do?” was the 296th installment of IPN’s project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates” which is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
