The Farmers' Association of Romania (AFR) warns about the crisis in which Romanian producers find themselves, because they no longer cope with the "continuous and uncontrolled" increase in electricity, natural gas and diesel tariffs, all essential in the activity of a farm, with the risk of the disappearance from the market of the meat produced in Romania.
"As the oldest association of Romanian farmers, we look with maximum concern at the impact that the huge increases in tariffs, announced and operated by natural gas and electricity distributors, have on the agri-food sector in Romania. In these harsh conditions for our work we wonder what to do. Should we give up animal husbandry? Is this the direction to follow? Do we want to bring the food only from abroad, without taking into account the risk that in a crisis situation, as we are now crossing, with the borders closed (this possibility cannot be excluded), nor will this solution be valid? And there is another problem, which maybe a few people are thinking about now - the food brought from other parts will have to be paid, at the required prices, possibly increased, and the money for such expenses does not exist now," reads a press release of the Association, sent on Wednesday to AGERPRES.
The AFR representatives mention that as a result of the analyses carried out, production decreases will be recorded in all agricultural sectors - vegetal, horticulture, animal husbandry and aquaculture, affecting the Romanian industry, which "is not doing well at all". Under these conditions, AFR requests emergency measures from the Romanian Government.
"We could say that even harder times are coming, that it will be extremely difficult for all of us, but first of all for the farmers. If we, who produce food, disappear from the market, it is hard to believe that we will easily recover; it will take many years to reoccupy the place we now occupy in Romania's food chain. Taking into account these considerations, we ask the Romanian Government to urgently come up with solutions if we want to talk about a Romanian agri-food sector in the future. We need solutions, and we need it now, not in a year's time; we claim that there is no justification, of any kind, for the increase from one month to another of the tariff for a product or service provided," reads the press release.
At the same time, AFR draws attention to the fact that at the present time the forecasts regarding the new harvest are not at all optimistic, given that the autumn crops have remained late, amid the lack of rainfall. The large variations in temperatures, between night and day, are also a factor in decreasing production.
The association claims that Romanian farmers will have difficulties in obtaining good yields because they will use much smaller quantities of fertilizers or products for plant protection, because of the increase in prices or because they are no longer found on the market.
According to the source, Romania should retain in the country more agricultural raw materials, especially sunflower seeds, given that Russia and Ukraine, two important producers in the Black Sea basin, are in war.
In this context, the Farmers' Association of Romania proposes several solutions, namely the use of green energy in the agri-food sector, the compensation of the costs for green certificates, the granting of subsidies to those who process the raw material in Romania, the increase of the state reserves in the case of food products, the improvement of genetics in all sectors during this period of crisis, loans with subsidized interest for production and investments in infrastructure.
Farmers are also calling for urgent measures to mitigate the effects of African swine fever and to support the population of pig breeding farms, birds and poultry.AGERPRES
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