New Minister for Agriculture. What lies ahead for farmers? (VIDEO)
The Coalition has divided the posts and farmers are now getting a clearer picture of who will lead the Ministry of Agriculture. The new minister will face many challenges as farmers are already struggling to make ends meet.
"Fertilisers have become more expensive, fuel has become more expensive, land rent, spare parts, machinery. Wages have risen, including in agriculture. We have to compete with other sectors and raise wages for our workers," explained A. Macijauskas, chairman of the Lithuanian Grain Growers' Association (LGAA), adding that the situation for farmers this year has also been made more difficult by the increase in interest rates.
In addition to these troubles, farmers, according to Mr Macijauskas, are starting to be affected by the effective liquidation of the Agricultural Loan Guarantee Fund, which has been "integrated" into the ILTE agency (formerly "Invega"). Even loans are difficult to obtain for farmers.Will anything change when the new ruling coalition takes office? After all, it is already known that the "Nemuno aušra" party will get the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Justice. Therefore, it is to "Nemuno aušra" that the eyes will be on who will lead the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, which are important for farmers.
Ignas Hofmanas, the head of the Lithuanian Agriculture Council, recently visited the President's Office where this issue was raised. So can we talk about names already?
At the same time, what is happening in Germany with the collapse of the ruling coalition, which provoked protests across Europe earlier this year, and the impact on Lithuania of the policies of the new US President Donald Trump, which will also directly affect agriculture, is of great importance for agriculture.
This is what we are talking about in this "Agrobite play" interview with LGAA President A. Macijauskas.
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