In a democratic country like the Republic of Moldova, all the citizens have the right to protest, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea said after a number of agricultural associations threatened the government with protests if the subsidization fund is not raised. The minister noted protesters’ demands are political in character and many of those who threaten with protests will run in the 2023 local elections as candidates, IPN reports.
Under the state budget law for 2023, the National Agriculture Development Fund next year will be 1.5 billion lei. The same sum was planned in 2022 and was later raised to 1.75 billion lei. The minister said the Government now focuses on the rise in the incomes of all the citizens and the farmers should not represent a privileged category.
“In 2022, the Gavrilița Government centered on social problems, the rise in pensions, salaries and subsidies. That’s why 2022 was a year of social protection, while next year remains a social protection priority. To have raises in pensions and salaries, we must deal with economic growth. But no other area in the country has such a well-organized subsidization program as agriculture has. That’s why the farmers should say thank you for the 1.5 billion lei from the subsidization fund. When the budget is amended, this fund could be raised. The Agency for Intervention and Payments in Agriculture collected over 16,500 files and there are 80 people who work there with salaries of 6,500 lei. This is titanic work. In 2023, we intend to propose a bill to reform the AIPA,” Vladimir Bolea stated in the program “Reflection Points” on Vocea Basarabiei station.
A week ago, by a public statement the Association “Force of Farmers” called on the authorities to request the EU to allow access to the European funds intended for the agricultural sector as from 2023, and to ask Romania to provide assistance in the form of diesel fuel that would be distributed primarily to small farmers. The farmers noted that if their demands are not satisfied, they will mount large-scale protests.
“It is a democratic country and they can protest. The protest is a form of political action. By protesting, one cannot obtain higher selling prices or new export markets. What can be obtained by protest? The protest is a strict political form for distinguishing oneself. We all realize that 2023 is an electoral year. You will see many of those who protest now as candidates competing for posts of mayor. We now must think about digitization, invest in technologies so that agriculture becomes advantageous and the young people are interested in coming to work in agriculture,” said the minister.
According to farmers, 2022 was extremely difficult for farmers in Moldova as the drought affected 80-90% of the corn harvest and 40-50% of the sunflower seed and sugar beet harvest. Also, the political ban imposed by Russia on the import of Moldovan products represented a serious blow to the fruit-growing and winegrowing sectors.
