Farmers still hold out some (presumably faint) hope that the country’s authorities will respond to these demands, since the Forța Fermierilor council, which met the day before, decided to “leave the door open.” In other words, it authorized the organization’s chairman to request meetings with the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance as many times as necessary “to discuss the association’s strategic objectives.”
At the same time, the Forța Fermierilor council once again noted that “despite the promises of the Minister of Agriculture, the June 15 dialogue with farmers never took place.” Moreover, a draft budget and fiscal policy was published, providing for the introduction of a 20 percent VAT on agricultural products effective October 1 of this year, along with a number of other proposals that will worsen operating conditions for the Republic of Moldova’s agri-food sector ( ).
“In response to the delay in a response and the authorities’ arrogance, farmers in several districts took to the streets on June 12 to protest, but these actions did not elicit a reaction from the government,” the Forța Fermierilor statement reads. Apparently for this reason (and, it seems, without much hope for a constructive solution), the association will continue to organize protests by farmers with farm equipment along the highways.
Since the machinery will soon be needed in the fields, it will be more difficult to organize a high-profile protest at that point.
