About 150 tractors were taken to the Great National Assembly Square of Chisinau on Decembers 9 in protest. The farmers demand that the authorities propose solutions to their problems. They ask for compensations for the second-group grain crops and for amendments to the 2021 budgetary-fiscal policy. The farmers are determined to protest with their machinery downtown until the authorities provide an appropriate response, IPN reports.
Vasile Myrzenko, executive director of the National Farmers Federation, said the farmers have to protest owing to the irresponsible attitude to them and the agricultural sector in general. “We have protested since summer and requested the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, the Government and Parliament to take measures, to supplement the Subsidization Fund, the fund for compensating the losses of farmers who suffered because of the drought. Regrettably, it is the end of the year and we ascertain with indignation that they ignore the fact that there are villages in the Republic of Moldova, agricultural producers who provide jobs for thousands of people. If we now cannot pay salaries to workers, we cannot prepare for the next agricultural season as we cannot clear the debts for this year to suppliers and banks,” stated Vasile Myrzenko.
He added that the people will not leave the Square if the authorities do not hear their demands. They do not calculate how many billion lei the farmers lost this season and the sum includes not only failed revenues, but also costs and debts. The Government offers compensations of 100 lei or over 100 lei per hectare by their costs are much larger.
Ion Plămădeală, farmer from southern Moldova, said the agricultural sector is in danger. Political will is needed to save it. “We will leave the Square when decisions are taken to save agriculture,” he stated, noting that the farmers will retune home when the fiscal policy and the state budget for next year are amended.
The farmers from districts said that about 200 tractors were parked at entrances to the city.
