The FNTT is already questioning farmers. The LŽŪKT audit and some awkward questions for the minister

The news surrounding the Lithuanian Agricultural Advisory Service continues to make headlines, with the shareholders of the public institution itself – the Ministry of Agriculture, the Lithuanian Farmers’ Union and the Lithuanian Association of Agricultural Companies. It was precisely this decision that was taken at an extraordinary meeting on 26 October.

But why has it taken so long? After all, in the case of the searches at the National Paying Agency (NMA), Minister Kęstutis Mažeika immediately suspended NMA Director Fortunatas Dirginčius from his duties and decided to carry out an audit to ascertain whether risks within the agency had been adequately managed.

In the case of LŽŪKT, however, the whole process took considerably longer. Even in response to questions from „Agrobitė“, which could have been answered within half an hour, K. Mažeika delayed his replies for almost a week. Why was the response delayed for so long?

“They stole, they’re stealing, and they know where to get more. Well, it won’t be any different until we change the system,” – says businessman and social activist Valdemaras Jacikas, commenting on the events surrounding LŽŪKT on the “Agrobitė play” podcast.

According to him, as long as the participants in the training and consultancy programmes do not pay at least part of the cost themselves, these programmes will remain a perfect breeding ground for the “misappropriation” of funds.

What does the debate on the state budget tell us, why did farmers support the protests in Serbia, where parliamentary elections have just taken place, and why farmers turned their backs on the protests in France, which later spread to other countries?

Find out all about this in this discussion between Gediminas Stanišauskas, editor-in-chief of „Agrobitė“, and V. Jacikas.

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