Farmers-horticulturists from the North of Moldova give a week to the Iurie Leanca’s Government to find sales market for apples, grown by them this year and traditionally sold on Russian market, stated on the Monday press conference Veaceslav Valico, Chairman of the Council of Moldovan Farmers’ National Representatives.

 

He mentioned that letters of ultimatum have been sent to the Parliament Chairman Igor Corman and President Nicolae Timofti as well.

 

“We have three major demands: to call extraordinary Parliament meeting; to take decision that Moldova is facing a force-majeure situation; to delay the return of the credits, taken by Moldovan farmers, whose products have been prohibited to be imported to Russia. Farmers also demand cancelling the EU Association Agreement and creating of a tripartite commission EU-Russia-Moldova for coordinating and regulating all the trade problems between Chisinau and Moscow. It is also necessary to purchase at fixed prices all the crops from farmers at the state money”, said Valico.

 

According to him, this resolution has been approved on the Moldovan Academy of Sciences (MAS) meeting, held last Saturday in Otaci, with participation of citizens and people from a number of the North of Moldova.

 

Farmer Galina Meico said that only last year she has returned 54 thousand lei of interest on bank loans.

 

“We have planted a new orchard and were taking care of it during three years. Only this year it started to give a decent crop and we were expecting for a good profit. Six years before, we have gone to Russia to earn money and invest it in our own farm. What shall we do now? We want to hear the answer from our authorities”, said she.

 

According to her, people are worried about the fact that they have credit obligations to the banks, that they can not sale the crop and have no confidence in future.

 

“If our authorities are lying and do not even consult with us about signing various agreements, than they are not worth an old song. Give us the possibility to live on our land with our children, give us freedom to work and exist”, stated the farmer, explaining that people demand resumption of fruit and vegetables exports to Russia.

 

Vitale Popovici, farmer from Ocnita raion, has emphasized that the farmers will wait not more than a week.

 

“We have worked the entire year in our fields and had no time to be engaged in politics and chatter on TV. If the Government will not fulfill all our demands, we will come to Chisinau, and not with the initiative group, as today, but with thousands of farmers, who have found themselves in the same situation. And we will demand answers to our questions from the elected government, who lives from our taxes”, promised the horticulturist.