The Moldovan authorities didn’t fulfill the promises they made during the protests mounted by farmers in June. The Cabinet didn’t approve the regulations on the payment of compensation and the mechanism for distributing the diesel fuel provided by the Government of Romania, said the executive director of the association “Force of Farmers”. Alexandru Slusari noted the authorities’ refusal to help makes the farmers resume the protests, IPN reports.
Alexandru Slusari said the situation in the agricultural sector is difficult due to the low grain prices, the large production costs and the pressure exerted by creditors on farmers.
“The protest is the last thing we want as the farmers are harvesting the crops. Since June until October, the farmers are extremely busy. But the situation worsened in terms of prices. Even those who have a good crop and gather by 5 tonnes of wheat per hectare sustain losses with such prices. The harvest is larger than last year. It is above the multiannual average, but this does not gladden the farmers as the selling prices are very low. The wheat can be now sold for at most 2.85 lei per kg,” Alexandru Slusari stated in the program “Refection Points” on Vocea Basarabiei station.
Alexandru Slusari accused the government of ignoring farmers’ demands and asked to urgently approve the regulations on the payment of compensation for wheat and barley and the mechanism for distributing Romanian diesel fuel.
“In the last protest mounted in the Great National Assembly Square, the minister of agriculture promised 200 million lei in compensation and 4,000 tonnes of diesel fuel. Then, the farmers weren’t very satisfied, but went to work. It happened on June 27. The farmers haven’t received either money or diesel fuel. Not even the distribution mechanism for the diesel fuel or for the money was approved. The Cabinet didn’t have a meeting this week and is to meet on August 14. The agenda of this meeting does not include these very important subjects,” said the executive director of the “Force of Farmers.
The farmers also demand to introduce a moratorium on the payment of the debts of micro-, small- and medium-sized producers of grain and oil crops to private creditors and to the national public budget until December 31, by the decision of the Commission for Exceptional Situations, and to set up special customs corridors for the export of grain and oil products in summer-autumn. If the demands are not satisfied, the farmers intend to resume the protests on August 14.
