Romanian Agriculture Unionists To Protest In Bucharest On May 11

Agrostar president Nicolae Stefan told a news conference Wednesday that, if Agriculture Ministry officials do not amend Government emergency decree 44/2008 to exempt small agricultural producers from its provisions, they will stage protests and will close markets.

Stefan argued that the ordinance would lead to farmers selling their products through intermediaries, which will trigger higher prices.

The union leader said the federation has notified the Agriculture Ministry regarding their problems, adding the ministry is expected to come up with solutions. Stefan said the Parliament's agriculture committees were also presented the situation and asked to set up debates to amend the emergency decree.

Agrostar representatives highlighted that small agricultural producers will be compelled to own electronic cash registers, unless the ordinance is amended.

Stefan said the ministry must clarify whether small agricultural producers are still allowed to market their produce using producers' certificates, or must register with the Trade Registry.

Agriculture Ministry secretary of stare Adrian Radulescu said Monday Romanian small agricultural producers could market their produce if they were authorized individuals or if they owned agricultural producers' certificates.

Radulescu explained the ordinance does not affect in any way farmers who have producers' certificates, adding they can continue to market their produce. He said the law refers to authorized individuals registered with city halls, who are now compelled to register with the Trade Registry to be able to sell their products on the market.

The Agriculture Ministry said in a press release Monday small agricultural producers may continue to sell their stock in markets, as long as they hold producers' certificates, and occasional sellers of produce will be exempt from the requirement to own electronic cash registers.

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