Farmers protest, accusing lack of government dialogue and criticizing budget policy draft
The Council of the "Forța Fermierilor" Association decided to organize a large regional protest featuring agricultural equipment on June 24. This decision comes in response to the lack of dialogue regarding the association's demands submitted to the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance.
According to a public announcement, the Council of the "Forța Fermierilor" Association has stated that, “despite the promises made by the Minister of Agriculture, no dialogue regarding the farmers’ demands took place until June 15. Additionally, during this period, a draft of the budgetary and fiscal policy was released, which includes plans to increase VAT on agricultural production to 20% starting October 1, 2026. The draft also contains other proposals that would worsen the conditions for the agricultural sector.”
In response to this situation, farmers attempted to pressure the government by protesting on June 12; however, the public statement noted that “even these actions did not elicit any reaction.”
Given these circumstances, the organization has decided that its president should repeatedly request a meeting with the Ministers of Agriculture and Finance to discuss the association's strategic demands.
Another suggested course of action is to organize several meetings within a week in various regions with members of the ruling parliamentary majority, focusing on the VAT rate in agriculture.
Consequently, “if there is no progress in addressing the strategic demands of the Forța Fermierilor Association,” a “massive regional protest featuring agricultural machinery and equipment” will be held on June 24, 2026. Farmers from multiple districts across the country will be invited to participate.
In response to the association's decision to organize a protest, Finance Minister Andrian Gavriliță acknowledged their concerns but also explained the fiscal measures under discussion within the ministry. He stated, “There are differing opinions on VAT. They emphasize that when exporting products, VAT must be paid immediately, not at a later time. We are maintaining a constructive dialogue with those who are willing to engage in discussion rather than just protest. We will certainly implement the necessary measures to ensure no additional burden on farmers who export. I want to reiterate that we must fully refund the excise duty up to the EU minimum and provide monthly VAT refunds.”
