Farmers protest in front of the Government
A group of farmers is protesting in front of the Government. They are dissatisfied with the fact that the Government has not yet adopted the draft Law 354, proposed by PAS deputy Alexandru Trubcă and farmers' associations, which aims to overcome the crisis caused by the drought. Farmers are demanding urgent measures to prevent collapse. Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture announced that it has registered a project with support measures for them with the Parliament.
The farmers' protest is justified. The situation with this law and the support measures for farmers who have been affected by the drought is "ridiculous", claims the president of the "Forța Fermierilor" Association, Alexandru Slusari. "Farmers have shown constructivism and developed this law together with deputy Alexandru Trubca. Minister Bolea's old law only works. The Parliament Speaker promised that the law would be adopted on December 5, but now we see some unclear movements".
Farmers' demands:
Urgent approval of the draft drought law, drafted by PAS deputy Alexandru Trubcă. Extension of the licensing of grain and oilseed imports until December 31, 2025. Payment of subsidy debts for 2023. Refund of farmers' excise taxes for 2024. Development of a mechanism for credit guarantees and refinancing for the new agricultural year 2025.
We remind you that, in September, Parliament approved the suspension of the obligation to pay outstanding debts accumulated by farmers affected by the drought, as well as the due installments related to loans and credits.
The special law sparked dissatisfaction among farmers, who organized several protests, including in front of the Presidency. Consequently, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on agriculture and food industry, Alexandru Trubcă, announced in early December that Parliament would propose new support measures for farmers affected by the drought, canceling the law voted in September, which was harshly criticized by farmers.
The draft, proposed after consultations with industry associations, provided, among other things, for the extension of the moratorium on the payment of outstanding debts in agriculture until October 31, 2025.
The legislative initiative was debated in the parliamentary committee but it was not examined by Parliament last week, as the draft did not have the Government's approval.
