Tuesday evening Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported in a statement that “in the late evening hours, there are ongoing activities at the ministry talks by Minister Czesław Siekierski with representatives protesting farmers, who on March 19 this year they signed in Jasionka, arrangements with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development“Conversations – as he reported at the time deputy head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Michał Kołodziejczak – led by Minister Czesław Siekierski.
There are farmers. What about ministry representatives?
Ministry spokeswoman Małgorzata Książyk she told PAP on Wednesday that farmers are still in the ministry building. She also noted that “no official talks are currently underway with them.” As she added, in the ministry, apart from representatives Solidarity of Individual Farmersfarmers representing organizations that signed the agreement in Jasionka are also present.
The ministry announced in an evening statement that the arrangements adopted in Jasionka “have been implemented to a significant extent.” The ministry added that it “implements the demands and arrangements made with the representatives of the protesting farmers.” As stated by Minister Czesław Siekierski, quoted in the release, a number of activities require many inter-ministerial arrangements and specific procedures, which extends the implementation of the arrangements.
Farmers want to talk to Tusk
Chairman of the Solidarity of Individual Farmers Tomasz Obszański in an interview with Tysol.pl he announced on Tuesday that farmers are starting sit-in strike in the Ministry of Agriculture. They demand that he come to talk to them Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “As farmers, we made a gesture of good will, but nothing has materialized so far. There are no details. We are going on a sit-in strike, we are staying at the ministry so that we can talk to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is to come to us and talk to us so that we can agree on a certain an action plan to develop a number of things that are needed today both for farmers and the Polish state,” Obszański said.
Agreement signed in Jasionka provides, among other things, that the Minister of Agriculture is to submit a request to Prime Minister Donald Tusk for suspension of transit through the territory of Poland covered embargo of agricultural products from Ukraine. The parties also indicated that trade relations between the two countries must be regulated, including market access to products such as: cereals, rapeseed, corn, sugar, poultry, eggs, soft fruits and apples.
The green deal needs to be changed
The agreement also includes provisions regarding: grain subsidies sold between January 1 this year and May 30 this year, maintaining the amount of agricultural tax at the 2023 level, or supporting the social side of the government's activities aimed at changes in the Green Deal, such as limiting eco-schemes and simplification of aid rules for farmers.
March 15 European Commission published a draft amendment to two regulations related to the Green Deal. The proposals include, among others: abolition of the obligation to fallow 4%. arable land, choice between crop diversification and rotation, simplifications regarding maintaining soil cover. Farms up to 10 ha will not be subject to sanctions related to the implementation of environmental standards – the so-called conditionality. The head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development assessed these proposals positively.
author: Anna Bytniewska
