Alexandru Slusari, executive director of the Farmers’ Force Association, will meet with Prime Minister Vasile Tofan on Friday, August 14, at 5:30 p.m.
The meeting will focus on falling purchase prices for grain and oilseeds, the need to license imports, the mechanism for transiting Ukrainian agricultural products and the government’s intention to increase the VAT rate by 50%.
However, the association has criticized the format of the meeting. The Farmers’ Force Association initially requested a public meeting with members of its Farmers’ Council, but the prime minister agreed to meet only with the executive director.
“It is not right to discuss farmers’ problems without farmers. We tried to secure a different format, such as a public meeting with the participation of Council members. We regret that the prime minister rejected this proposal. We believe the problems facing the agricultural sector cannot be solved by consulting a single representative of an organization that brings together hundreds of farmers,” the association said.
Despite its criticism, the association said it remains committed to a constructive approach. Slusari has been mandated to attend the meeting and report the results to the Farmers’ Council on August 17.
The association will decide on further action after reviewing the outcome of the meeting.