Romanian farmers hold nationwide protest

Farmers are organising protests across Romania on Friday 7 April to express dissatisfaction with the European Commission (EC) approach market distortions caused by the war in Ukraine, local website digi24.ro reported.  

A joint statement of Romania’s four main farming federations said they were sending “a new appeal to the solidarity and European spirit of all Romanian farmers, whom we encourage to join our protest, for dignity and respect”. 

“The elimination of customs duties on all goods from Ukraine since mid-2022 has commercially exported the effects of the war to neighbouring countries through an involuntary dumping effect, as it has encouraged Ukrainian farmers to sell below cost as the pace has been forced the flow of goods,” the statement said.  

The Romanian farmers’ groups stressed the need for stability and predictability, a desire to carry out their activity under equal conditions with other European farmers, and urged support and protection from European and national decision-makers. 

The counties where protests will be organized are Alba, Arad, Arges, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Buzau, Constanta, Covasna, Galati, Iasi, Mures, Olt, Satu Mare, Timis, Tulcea, Vrancea and Bucharest. 

Farmers say protests reaction to EC policy

“This extreme protest is the result of deep dissatisfaction and disappointment of Romanian farmers in relation to the solution found by the European Commission (EC) to the serious problems and imbalances faced by the agri-food sector in our country, against the background of market distortions caused by the conflict army from Ukraine,” the statement added.

The farmers’ representatives point out that EC measures have not helped Ukrainian farmers to resume their production cycle under the conditions of a strong escalation of input costs, but has in fact disrupted the Romanian market.  

Farmers from the Moldavian area, who want to block the Siret customs office in Suceava County, expressed anger regarding the huge amount of Ukraine grain that has remained in Romania. 

They say that due to the unfair competition of the neighbouring country and the lack of reaction of the EU, they are forced to sell their own grain stocks at much lower prices than they had estimated.

The organisations who signed the statement were the Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation, formed by the National Federation of Producers in Agriculture, the Romanian Food Industry and Related Services, the Romanian League of Associations of Agricultural Producers, the Union of the National Branch of Vegetable Cooperatives, and the Romanian Forum of Professional Farmers and Processors.