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AGRARIANS SAY SITUATION IN THE BRANCH IS CATASTROPHIC

12 november, 2015
AGRARIANS SAY SITUATION IN THE BRANCH IS CATASTROPHIC Moldovan associations of agricultural workers presented on Thursday preliminary results of 2015, qualifying the situation in the branch as catastrophic.

 

During news conference at Infotag, Alexandru Slusari, Chairman of the National Union of Agricultural Producers' Associations UniAgroProtect said that in 2015 Moldovan authorities took several steps, which caused nothing but losses and failures for the agriculture.

 

“The situation with paying the 2014 subsidies can be called nothing else than a big shame, when after so many promises and decisions, 17 agrarians did not receive 9 million lei subsidies”, Slusari said, adding that the Finance Ministry daily promises to address the situation, but no changes occur.

 

He pointed at the fact that the issue with compensations again remained hanged in mid-air after Romania announced about suspension of providing 150 million euros credit to Moldova.

 

“With the help of the first tranche of Romanian credit worth 60 million euros, expected this year, it was supposed that the issue with compensations to be closed, while now there are no money in the budget for their payment”, he said.

 

Agricultural associations’ leaders noted with regret that the authorities proved to be sluggish in getting external financing, when already agreed and arranged projects are not working so far. As an example of such, they cited the Polish Government’s credit worth 100 million euros and the European Investment Bank’s Project “Moldova’s Orchards” worth 150 million euros.

 

A particular discontent was expressed to authorities in connection to the tariff and non-tariff policy, agreed in the so-called agricultural package [a set of draft laws in agricultural sector] back in summer, with the help of which the authorities intended to protect the domestic market from cheap and poor-quality imported meat and dairy products. Currently, the import of such goods accounts for 40%, one-third of which is of Ukrainian and Belarusian origin.

 

“It was about applying of an import duty on this group of goods, which are brought to Moldova from Ukraine and Belarus. Such a duty would be of great help to Moldovan producers and within a short period of time, they would be able to compete on equal terms both in the country and abroad”, Slusari said.

 

The agrarians said that the new candidate to the post of Prime Minister should agree with them the candidate for the post of Agriculture Minister, who currently has neither much influence nor all the necessary powers.

 

“Given a big importance of the agriculture for the Moldovan economy, we regard that the new minister should be appointed as Deputy Premier, in order that he to be a member of the Government’s presidium and to be able to influence structures, vital for the branch, for example the National Food Safety Agency or Apele Moldovei [national water-wealth administration]”, said UniAgroProtect head.

 

At the request to assess branch losses over the dry 2015, heads of associations cited preliminary figures – around 5 billion lei, though Alexandru Slusari regarded this sum as underestimated and expressed an opinion that losses may account for about 6 billion.

 

As for further actions of agrarians, their professional associations’ leaders said there is no sense to make economic demands currently.

 

“Whom against can we protest today? There is no Government, the Parliament is also unable to work. Agricultural sector workers have no trust in this political class”, Slusari said, adding that many farmers pin their hopes on the Civil Platform “Demnitate si Adevar” [“Dignity and Justice”].

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