The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin-Ionuț Barbu, held a working meeting at the MADR headquarters with representatives of associations in the pig and poultry sectors to understand the difficulties they are facing and identify suitable solutions.

In this context, Minister Florin Barbu stated that in the 2024 budget, under the state aid schemes to support the activities of pig and poultry breeders, amounts of 100 euros/UVM for pigs and 100 euros/UVM for poultry are provided to help farmers capitalize, considering the losses suffered due to the crisis in Ukraine.

He also informed those present that over 300 million euros are allocated in this year's MADR budget to complete the most important investments in the two sectors, as follows:

1. Establishment of approximately 49,000 accommodation places in the pig sector for reproduction.
2. Implementation of the necessary investment projects to produce 1.5 million piglets.
3. Investments in the poultry sector for approximately 9 million accommodation places.

"I thank everyone who responded to the invitation to participate in this debate. I assure you of all my openness and dedication to solving requests coming from all sectors. I am convinced that through constant and balanced dialogue, we can collaborate for the benefit of all," stated Minister Florin-Ionuț Barbu.

The MADR official proposed that at the beginning of each year, before the elaboration of the necessary normative acts, applied discussions should take place within working groups with experts from the technical directorates of MADR to identify the best solutions for the sustainability of the sector.

Representatives from this sector presented the main challenges they face:

1. Facilitating access to credit and government availability regarding the restoration of pig stocks in Romania.
2. Support in the form of state aid for populating and repopulating farms.
3. Delay in the release of certificates from CEC.
4. Possibility of allocating funds to support exports.
5. Simplified authorization procedure regarding the new reproduction law.
6. Establishment of more byproduct neutralization centers.
7. Establishment of interinstitutional commissions regarding the authenticity control of products containing Mangalitsa meat.
8. Continuation of the support program for breeders of breeding pigs in Bazna and/or Mangalitsa breeds.

The President of the Association of Breeders and Exporters of Cattle, Sheep, and Pigs (ACEBOP) thanked the minister for all the efforts made in support of the sector and welcomed the proposal to establish a working group within MADR to discuss relevant normative acts for the performance of these sectors.

The minister reminded the representatives of the two sectors about the possibility of financing through both accessing agricultural credit in Romania, guaranteed by the state, with a meeting scheduled with representatives of the banking system in this regard, and through PNS, which has substantial sums for investment projects.