Moldovan farmers postpone protest scheduled for 27 May

Chisinau, 25 May /MOLDPRES/- Representatives of farmers' associations, at a today's news conference, said they had ruled to postpone the protest scheduled for 27 May, "in connection with the adoption by the parliament of a draft decision setting more solutions to improve the situation in agriculture."

The draft decision sees income tax exemption in agriculture, working out a mechanism for preferential crediting for farmers, amendment to the law on oil products market, maintenance of 8-per cent VAT rate on all agricultural products, setting up a council of observers to monitor projects in agricultural sector, etc.

"We will postpone the protest due on 27 May for 1 July, in order to see if the conditions stipulated in the decision are met. At the same time, even if the draft sees increase in subsidization fund, it does not clearly specify where this money will be found", the head of National Farmers' Federation, Valeriu Cosarciuc, said.

"We are not fully satisfied with this draft, yet we decided to provide the last chance to government to save the situation in the agricultural sector, which is pre-catastrophic", Uniagroprotect head Alexandru Slusari said.

Today, representatives of canneries from Moldova asked the government for financial support, reasoning that, after the embargo imposed by Russia one year ago, canned food producers had big losses and could not pay their credits to bank.

On 21 May, Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu had a public meeting with the farmers and agreed on the above-mentioned draft decision, passed by the parliament the next day.

(Reporter C. Russu, editor L. Alcaza)