Moldova not to Introduce Restrictions on Grain Imports: Farmers Demand Help

Moldova will not impose restrictions on grain imports from Ukraine yet, but it will also prevent farmers from going bankrupt due to falling agricultural market prices. Thus, the government intends to allocate another 100 million lei for subsidies. At the same time, the excise tax on diesel fuel and partly the cost of fertilizers will be covered from the state budget. All this was discussed at a meeting of agrarians in the government with the participation of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture, tv8.md reports. Farmers are asking the authorities to meddle in the situation. According to them, due to the large flow of grain on the market, Moldovan producers are at risk of entering the summer with overcrowded barns, and this could mean bankruptcy for many of them. “We found ourselves in a situation where everyone who has a common border with Ukraine and who protect their market and their producers has established temporary restrictions on imports, and we are left, being the poorest, and the smallest.” The discussions lasted over two and a half hours. The head of the Ministry of Agriculture told reporters about decision to allocate an additional 100 million lei for target subsidies and 100 percent exempt farmers from paying excise duty on diesel fuel. At the same time, the government will partially cover the cost of fertilizers. Regarding restrictions on imports from Ukraine, Vladimir Bolea noted that the authorities would intervene only in case of emergency, but certainly not in the coming weeks. “The government will closely monitor the imports that come from Ukraine in order to identify a potential massive grain flow so that it can intervene when this flow increases for a long time, which will lead to the overflow of storage facilities on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. What are we going to do? We will report once every two days, plus this is also requested by partners from Romania,” Head of the Ministry of Agriculture Vladimir Bolea said. The Ministry of Agriculture is convinced that after the announced measures are taken, the situation will improve, and therefore there will be no need to limit the import of Ukrainian grain. Recently, five European states, including Romania, have restricted grain imports from Ukraine until early June.