More farmers come to Chisinau with tractors to stage protest

Chisinau, 23 November /MOLDPRES/ - More farmers today came by tractors to the centre of the Moldovan capital, to stage a protest organized by the Farmers’ Force Association and the National Farmers’ Federation. At the protest, the police recorded more violence and aggression acts.  

The participants in the action showed discontent with the situation in the agricultural sector. At the same time, the farmers demanded the authorities’ support to identify solutions to their problems.   

During the action, some protesters were aggressive. ‘’We condemn the aggressive actions of the farmers present on the Hancesti highway, through which they attempted against state’s assets, provoking the Police through altercation, presuming the intention to destroy the transport means of the Police and outraging law-enforcers. Both the organizers and the people involved in these actions will be documented accordingly, under the Law. The powers of the Police at such events are of ensuring the public order, but not of escorting, guard or protection of interests,’’ the General Police Inspectorate said.        

The discontents of the producers of maize and sunflower, those who protest on the square now, can be understood. The cabinet of ministers has doubled the sum of subsidies in the agricultural sector during two years; yet, the government cannot give the entire sum allocated for economic development only for maize and sunflower. The agriculture means also animal husbandry, fruits, food products, wineries, not to speak about other economic sectors. The cultivators of maize and sunflower must understand that, when they block the roads, they block them also for those from the IT sector and for wine-makers, for the producers of meat, furniture, electronics, clothes, etc. The blocking of roads has repercussion on the entire economy, not to speak about the other citizens or emergency services. And this does not help anybody, the producers of maize and sunflower either. The right to protest is fundamental, but the protest must be held in a civilized way, reads a today’s reaction of a Moldovan MP, Radu Marian.       

The protesters demand the introduction, under a decision by the Commission for Emergency Situations (CSE), of a moratorium for the period till 31 October 2024, on the calculation of penalties, foreclosure of obligations and starting the procedures of insolvency in relation with the micro-, small- and medium-sized farmers, who have in the structure of their lands at least 70 per cent cereals and oily crops; the allocation, in 2024, from the National Fund of Agriculture Development, of 50 per cent, but not less than one billion lei for micro-, small and medium-sized farmers, in form of compensations for ridiculously low prices in form of direct payments per one hectare of sunflower and maize, cultivated in 2023, etc.     

In the last two years, the Agriculture and Food industry Ministry has doubled the sum of subsidies in the agricultural sector and allocated another 300 million lei to farmers at the last rectification of the budget.