Moldovan Agriculture Ministry says speaks out for constructive dialogue, based on rigorous assessment of national economy's realities

Chisinau, 18 December /MOLDPRES/ - Agriculture and Food industry Minister Ludmila Catlabuga had a meeting with representatives of the Farmers’ Force Association today afternoon. The official said that the ministry was committed to back the farmers from all branches of the agriculture, was involved in the working out of sustainable policies and spoke out for a constructive dialogue, based on the rigorous assessment of the realities from the national economy.    

In the context, the Agriculture Ministry (MAIA) reiterates its position and shows how the things are for each of the farmers’ claims.  

Extension of the licence for import of cereals and oil-bearing plants: We understand the concerns regarding the impact of the imports on the domestic market. The prolongation of the licencing of the import of cereals and oil-bearing plants is a subject which is already in the focus of the ministry. The process necessary for the extension of the licencing was started and the ministry made public announcements to this effect on all official communication channels.   

Payment of debts for subsidies for 2023: We note that there is the concept of ‘’payment of debts’’. The subsidies are post-investment, which implies that the farmers finish the investment on a project and can subsequently submit an application to the Agency of Intervention and Payments for Agriculture (AIPA) and the analysis process can last. The subsidies are provided within the limit of the funds available in the national fund for the development of agriculture and rural environment. If the funds earmarked are exhausted, the payments non-paid are rescheduled and included in the budget for the next year. The payments will be disbursed with the entrance into force of the budget for 2025.  

Return of excise duties to farmers: The return of excise duties represents a justified and important demand for the agricultural sector. The ministry recognizes the need of this measure and constantly supports it during discussions with the relevant authorities, which is the Finance Ministry in this case. The implementation depends directly on the resources available from the state budget, which are limited at present. Any progress on this dimension will be communicated to the farmers, as priority.

Elaboration of a mechanism of guarantees of crediting and refinancing for the new 2025 agricultural year: Starting from January 2025, a preferential agricultural loan with a fixed rate of 5.1 per cent will be implemented, meant for backing the development of agricultural businesses from the conventional, conservative agriculture, as well as of the post-harvesting infrastructure. This mechanism is dedicated to the micro- and small farmers and the goal is to consolidate and modernize the agricultural activities. A distinct support element of this loan is the grant component, the value of which varies between 5 and 30 per cent, depending on the loan’s purpose. This measure provides a significant advantage to farmers, facilitating the access to financing and supporting the investments in the key sectors of agriculture. As for the medium-sized farmers, the instruments provided by the Organization for Entrepreneurship Development (ODA) stay, in continuation, accessible, thus ensuring the diversification of the solutions of financing and their adaptation to the specific feature of each category of agricultural producers.       

Urgent approval of the Law on drought, in the form proposed by MP Alexandru Trubca: The Law on drought is a priority subject for the Agriculture and Food industry Ministry. So far, the ministry has contributed with everything needed to the filling in of the notifications and documents due to support the adoption of this law. All amendments were made while taking into account the needs of the farmers and are related to the country’s economic reality. We deem, in continuation, as important that the authorities and farmers should find long-term solutions which to is to make the agricultural businesses sustainable.  

A groups of farmers today protested outside the government building; the farmers informed that they would organize a ‘’warning protest’’ outside the government and parliament building on 18 and 19 December. The farmers say that the government delays the approval of a draft law meant to prevent the bankruptcy of the farmers hit by the drought.

Subsequently, Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Ludmila Catlabuga said that she was waiting the farmers at dialogue. The Agriculture Ministry serves the farmers and here we can find solutions to all problems in the sector, according to the official.  

„We know which the claims are; we have answers to them; we have immediate solutions both to some of them and to the others; we have mechanisms which imply effort on behalf of both sides. Neither me, nor the ministry want dialogue on barricades; we urge everybody to have maturity and get involved in a conversation with real arguments and solutions. I remain at the ministry, open to hold conversations and to find solutions. Yet, for this, we must communicate face to face, on the subject, with the figures available, just as farmers who know want to do when things become complicated,’’ Ludmila Catlabuga said.   

The government today approved the draft law on the financing, management and monitoring of the agricultural policy. The new law will provide a more efficient system of providing financial support in the agricultural sector, due to contribute to the enhancement of the sector’s competitiveness, sustainable development of the rural environment and combating of the climate changes. At the same time, the draft law will create an integrated, coherent national legislative framework and correlated to the goals of the European Union’s common agricultural policy, in order to support the attraction of European funds for the development of agriculture.     

The document provides for the implementation of the Strategic Programme of Agriculture Policy, which will establish the strategies of intervention, conditions and size of the financial resources provided, as well as the indexes of monitoring, evaluation and result. Also, the draft regulates the providing of the financial support from the national fund for the development of agriculture for diverse types of interventions, such as direct payments, sectoral interventions and for the rural development, for the modernization of farms, development of the rural infrastructure and promotion of innovations in the agriculture.