Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin Ionuț Barbu, had a working meeting with representatives of farmers' associations in the plant sector.

The leadership of the associative forms outlined the main issues its members face in their activities: the payment of APIA subsidies and VAT reimbursement, granting subsidized loans for agriculture, the competition of cheap cereals from Ukraine, and climate change.

"I am glad that we managed to find solutions to most of the issues discussed today in the meeting with members of plant sector associations, and together with MADR experts, we will support farmers through programs and measures that contribute to the development of agricultural activities," said Minister Florin-Ionuț Barbu.

Farmers appreciated the minister's openness to dialogue and conveyed a series of proposals to be evaluated in periodic expert working groups. Following the discussions, all participants signed a protocol agreeing on the following:

Proposal 1: Urgent payment of APIA subsidies for schemes not subject to other deadlines.

Deadline: February 29, 2024.

Proposal 2: Waiver of GAEC 7 and GAEC 8. Clarification of the conditions under which these two GAECs apply starting from the 2023-2024 application year and reduction of the sanction percentage to a minimum level, based on force majeure.

Deadline: January 31, 2024.

Proposal 3: Compensation for losses suffered by Romanian farmers affected by imports from Ukraine through the adoption of separate tracks and monitoring imports through electronic seals with GPS at the Constanta port.

Deadline: 2024.

Proposal 4: Granting subsidized loans for working capital and farm investments with an interest rate margin of a maximum of 2% + ROBOR.

Deadline: February 29, 2024.

Proposal 5: Additional use of the temporary framework for Ukraine to provide emergency support of 100 euros/ha to farmers for crops planted in the fall of 2022.

If, after the budget adjustment, available funds are identified at the Ministry of Finance, compensation for spring crops in 2023 will also be considered.

Deadline: May 31, 2024.

Proposal 6: Updating the value of the state aid for refunding excise duties for diesel purchased and used in agriculture.

Deadline: June 30, 2024.

Proposal 7: Urgent modification of Government Ordinance 195/2002 regarding traffic on public roads.

Equating the B category driving license with TR and B1 with TRI, as well as the registration of equipment, will only be done by registering them at the town hall, without the obligation of CIV and ITP regardless of tonnage, with exemption from the application of provisions in 2024, concurrently with the corresponding modification of the bill under discussion in the Romanian Senate.

Deadline: Next government session.

Proposal 8: Assumption of the revision and adoption of necessary legislation in the current parliamentary session regarding the minimum duration of the lease contract and the leasing of pastures.

Deadline: June 30, 2014 - Romanian Parliament.

Proposal 9: Free water for the main irrigation infrastructure in 2024.

Proposal 10: Subsidizing 50% of the costs incurred with electricity by OUAI (irrigation user associations).

Proposal 11: Legislative amendments for 2004 and 2024. Amendment of Law 34/2013 and Law 170/2023 and Law 138/2004 assimilating local irrigation facilities with subsidies as well as OUAI, including the placement of photovoltaic panels in secondary irrigation facilities only with the agreement of OUAI, implementation, and operationalization of the National Agriculture Risk Management System.

Proposal 12: The emergency ordinance on the deferral of rates is under review by the Competition Council.

Deadline: Next government session.

Proposal 13: Conducting an impact study with farmers on the use of the hail protection system in the Vrancea region.

The minister provided concrete solutions to the problems farmers face, including the "Farmer's Credit" state aid scheme and agricultural credit for working capital and farm investments, as well as a payment extension for non-performing loans.

Farmers stated that the results achieved through the discussions give them confidence that the Minister of Agriculture can be a dialogue partner proposing solutions for the sustainability of farmers.

Those present emphasized that they will closely monitor the achievement of the objectives assumed in the protocol signed at the end of the meeting.