Farmers in several districts across the country plan to stage local protests with agricultural machinery and equipment on Thursday and Friday if Parliament does not vote this week to extend the licensing requirements for grain and oilseed imports. The announcement was made by the Farmers’ Force Association.
According to the association, farmers are concerned that the current law expires on October 31, while the authorities have not clearly announced whether the measure will be extended.
Farmers’ representatives warn that even a gap of a few days in the legislation could cause serious losses for domestic producers by allowing an increase in imports of cheap grain and oilseeds from Ukraine.
The association notes that the current average price of sunflower seeds in Ukraine is 2.5 lei lower than in the Republic of Moldova, while the price difference for corn exceeds one leu.
According to farmers, Ukrainian producers continue to sell their crops below production costs amid the blockage of the main export route through the Black Sea. This situation could lead to falling prices on the Moldovan market, where prices are already below international quotations, according to domestic producers.
To prevent such a development, farmers are calling for the import licensing requirements to be extended. The Farmers’ Force Association says that farmers in several districts have already agreed on the locations and times of the planned protests.