Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu is telling politicians to get their hands off Romanian farmers and processors, inviting them to a meeting of the Price Monitoring Committee, set up at the relevant ministry, for certain discussions on unfair trade practices.

In his opinion, the boycott of retail stores can greatly affect Romanian farmers, producers and processors, which can escalate.

„I am against this boycott, because it can seriously affect Romanian producers, farmers and processors. We, the government, have stepped in to cap markups. It is valid until July 31. In addition, we have a discussion in the Monitoring Committee to amend Directive 633 on unfair commercial practices. I will not hide the fact that I had a meeting in the last Agrifish Council meeting with the European commissioner to try to amend Directive 633, so that, throughout the chain – from the farmer, producer, distributor, processor – there are no more unfair trade practices. I have always wanted – and I have said it publicly – for the trade markups to be equal on the same categories of products, but boycotting retail in Romania, where over 70% of the products are processed and made by Romanian farmers, is not a good thing, because that can escalate. A lot of products, if we talk about the dairy sector in Romania – milk is a perishable product – if this boycotting lasts more than a day, up to a week, many companies will have banking troubles. That’s why I’ve always promoted Romanians; I’ve promoted Romanian products in the courtyard of the Ministry of Agriculture. Every month we organised a fair of products made by local producers. I asked them to go to the retail stores, to choose products with a Romanian label, products processed in Romania and I continue to plead for this aspect and I tell you that this thing of boycotting retail in Romania for a day, for a week, for two weeks or a month means the bankruptcy of many processors and farmers in Romania.”

Barbu added that he will continue to go to supermarkets, but also to the market, to do his shopping.

„Of course I will go, and I have always gone both to the markets and the purchases are from Olt County, I go to the market in Slatina, I do my shopping in the market place, but also in retail stores, because, if you want to buy dairy products – and we are talking about kefir, sana or all these things – we cannot find them in the market place; we find them in stores.”

He also said that in retail store chains, 70% of the processed products on the shelf are Romanian.

Asked if there is a survey in this regard, he replied: „The normal survey exists. There is also a survey at the Competition Council, but if you want and go with me to a retail store and we take a product, basic food, flour, there is only one product that comes from imports, the other 12 are made by Romanian processors. If we go for the oil range, the same thing happens.”

Barbu on Monday attended a news conference organised by the Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation to mark its 5th anniversary.

AGERPRES