Moldova plans emergency law to address 2024 drought crisis
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAIA) will soon present a draft law addressing the exceptional situation in the agricultural sector, Minister Vladimir Bolea announced during the “At 360 Degrees” program on Radio Moldova.
The Minister mentioned that he had recently met in Bucharest with his Romanian counterpart, Florin Barbu, to discuss measures implemented in Romania, with the aim of adopting some of these policies in the Republic of Moldova. The proposed law establishing a state of emergency in agriculture will follow the Romanian model.
Minister Bolea also stated that one potential solution is to streamline the process for farmers to receive compensation. As a result, farmers in our country may no longer be required to present a force majeure certificate to claim compensation for losses incurred.
“The procedure begins with a request submitted by the farmers. The law, or in Romania's case, the ordinance, does not take effect unless a request is made by the farmer to their creditors. Farmers affected by the 2024 drought will be eligible for compensation. At this stage, we are referring to farmers who possess documentation certifying drought-related losses. The draft law will be submitted to the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, where we will propose it be passed after two readings.”
It should be noted that on September 5, farmers issued a public statement criticising the Government’s actions and calling for the declaration of a state of emergency in agriculture. They argued this was the only viable solution to prevent the accumulation of penalties for farmers severely affected by the drought. Initial protest threats were made by farmers in the southern regions of the country.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
