Minister of Agriculture Florin Barbu reassured farmers that he would continue to support at the Council of Ministers in Brussels the increase of the Common Agricultural Policy budget and the level of direct payments, the simplification of environmental conditions, given the difficult economic context, the eligibility of the purchase of breeding animals and the continuation of the derogation to neonicotinoids.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR), Minister Barbu met on Wednesday at the institution’s headquarters with representatives of the main associations in the plant sector to discuss the challenges facing farmers.

Among the issues raised by them were: risk management, derogation to neonicotinoids, access to credit, the law on leasehold, investment in irrigation infrastructure, reorganisation of MADR and subordinate institutions, regulation of the anti-hail system, labelling of agri-food products, digitalisation in agriculture.

The minister reviewed the farmers’ demands during the protests at the beginning of the year, analysing the state of implementation of each demand and setting out the next steps to be taken in order to complete all the objectives assumed in the minutes. The MADR official also expressed his openness to constant dialogue with the representatives of the associative environment, assuring them of his and MADR’s support.

AGERPRES