Farmers continued to protest in several regions of Romania on Tuesday, despite promises from Prime Minister Marcel Colacu and Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu. The day before, one of the farmers’ leaders said that the demonstrations would most likely be suspended.

Agricultural and Cooperation Alliance (AAC) farmer representative Marius Miku announced on Monday evening that “it will probably be decided to suspend any protest initiative” as agreement was reached on the farmers’ demands. Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu said at the same press conference that he was “waiting for all the farmers to return home” and the protocols he had made with the farmers’ representatives would be accepted and respected by him.

And the “Union of Patriotic Farmers” in the context of the conversation with the representatives of the Government recommended the farmers to stop the protests.

Among the requests are the emergency provision of APIA payments, compensation for losses of Romanian farmers affected by imports from Ukraine, provision of loans with subsidized interest, payment of support in the amount of 100 euros per hectare for crops grown in the fall of 2018. 2022 in Ukraine and updating the amount of state aid for the reimbursement of excise duty on diesel fuel purchased and used in agriculture.

At the same time, the category B driver’s license is equivalent and will be recognized by the tractor category (TR). Also introduced is “Farmer’s Credit” – a working capital loan at 1.95% interest, ROBOR, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government, with a maturity date of the end of February.

Marius Miku added that a protocol was concluded with the Minister of Agriculture regarding these requests.

In the context of the protests of transporters and farmers, on DN 2, in the city of Afumatsi, on the border with the city of Voluntari, Ilfov county, traffic is normal in the direction of traffic to Urzichen, and in the direction of traffic to Stolytsia, prov. 1, through the parked transport of protesters.

Farmer leaders who have been protesting in Afumaka for a week have said they will not give up until all their grievances are 100% addressed.

However, according to Covasna Media, on Tuesday morning, about 40 cars were in a traffic jam between Cernat and Tirgu-Secujesk.

Farmers of the Covasna district have drawn up a document with general requirements, which contains more than 40 points.

Among the first – “Creation of an emergency banking program for investments, working capital, loan refinancing and leasing with a fixed interest rate of max. 2% without any fees for up to 10 years. The cost of the program should be 1 billion euros/year with a duration of 5 years. The maximum value of the loan granted per farm should be a maximum of 2 million euros for investments, respectively 1 million euros for working capital, refinancing, loans and leasing, Priority is given to investments in renewable irrigation systems, processing (conditioning) at the firm level and renewable energy for own consumption”, but also “a return to fiscal policy related to 2022, the abolition of the tax on rental income. Maintaining this fiscal policy for at least 5 years as agriculture needs predictability.”

Several farmers are live-streaming their protests on TikTok.

And in Satu Mare, farmers took their equipment to the city lane, where they drive at low speed.

In total, about 80-90 farmers’ cars and transporters’ trucks make up the convoy moving along the lane of the municipality of Satu Mare, PresaSM reports.

A similar action continues on the bypass of the municipality of Karey.

Cholaku claims that 99% of women’s queries have been resolved

Prime Minister Marcel Cholaku said Monday night on Antena 3 that “almost 99% of requests from the Ministry of Agriculture have been closed,” that 90% of them have already been included in the budget for the current year, but there was no time. promote as rites.

However, he criticized the protesters, saying they should have come to the government for talks first and then started street protests if they were not satisfied.

“First of all, I tried to understand what started these protests, from my point of view, as the prime minister, they are justified, and I will explain to you exactly. It was obvious. These are not things that I have coached or done during the six months of my mandate as Prime Minister. This is accumulated disappointment: we had a pandemic, there was an energy crisis, a war started, there was an influx of goods from Ukraine to the territory of Romania, there was a price, on emotions, a high price, then the price fell, the raw materials for which farmers bought last year were bought very expensive , in the spring it became cheaper and prices for agricultural products fall. Therefore, the cumulative factor, things that do not necessarily belong to the government, but things that we had to report on as governors,” said the head of government.

“I’m waiting for all the farmers to go home”

Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu said on Monday that he was “waiting for all the farmers to go home” after agreeing to 13 farmers’ demands with representatives of vegetable sector associations, after more than three hours of negotiations.

• “I expect all the farmers to go home, to their families, to their parents and have full confidence in the associational forms that are next to me here at this conference and I assure them that the protocol that I have signed today with my colleagues in the association , forms are accepted by the Minister of Agriculture, and 100% all those transferred in this protocol will be resolved.
• (…) The associations continued the dialogue we had today within the framework of the budget we had for the year 2024 for the Ministry of Agriculture. As I told you before, agriculture accounts for 2% of Romania’s GDP. There are many forms of support that associations are aware of. Most of the country’s farmers have been informed about the amounts that we have provided in the budget.”

He said that until May 30, support in the amount of 100 euros per hectare will be provided for all crops planted in the fall of 2022.”

Barbu also talked about the support in the field of animal husbandry, as well as about two important projects that come to support farmers, namely “a loan for farmers, which is provided in Ukraine, where they will receive working capital at 1.95% interest.” , ROBOR with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government of Romania” and “the second loan, an agricultural loan with 2% plus ROBOR, which is intended for working capital”:

• “We will support animal husbandry. €100/UVM beef cow, €100 pig, €100 in the UVM poultry sector.
• We will fully subsidize in 2024 and the act will be issued until 2026 the entire excise tax used in agriculture. There are forms of support that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government of Romania have in the budget for 2024 to try to bring all the farming companies out of trouble during this rather difficult period for Romanian farmers.
• For this, we have come to support Romanian farmers in two very important projects. On the one hand, the credit of farmers, which is provided in Ukraine, where they will receive working capital at 1.95% interest, ROBOR, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government of Romania. Two, the second loan, an agricultural loan at 2% plus ROBOR, which is for working capital.”