Farmers’ Power Launches Urgent Consultation with Agrarians

It follows the fact that farmers were “not heard by the authorities” and a request for a meeting with the Prime Minister was ignored. “The process of destroying micro, small and medium-sized farms is in full swing. Several transnational companies keep wheat and barley prices in Moldova at the lowest level in the region. At the same time, creditors are hunting for farmers and demanding immediate debt repayments, taking advantage of extremely low commodity prices. All these processes are taking place amid inaction or extremely belated reaction of the authorities, who do not want to take urgent measures to save agricultural producers, measures, which do not require the allocation of money from the state budget,” Stiri cited the Association’s statement. Many farmers believe that what is happening now is a deliberate and coordinated effort to bankrupt farmers and forcibly seize farmland under their control. “According to some journalist investigations, more than 40 per cent of the arable land in the country is already managed by two holdings, vertically integrated and registered in Cyprus, which can now take advantage of the farmers’ deplorable situation in the countryside and turn Moldova into their agricultural estate.” “In this regard, the Farmers’ Power Association is launching urgent consultations with agrarians in all districts. Immediately after the completion of the first group of harvesting works, an extended meeting of the organization’s Council will be summoned. At this meeting we will make a decision regarding our actions in the conditions when the authorities refuse to discuss the moratorium on debt repayment for micro, small and medium-sized farms, a measure that could save them from insolvency,” the association members said.