Romanian Farmers Clash With Security Forces During Protest In Bucharest

Romanian farmers protesting outside the Finance Ministry in Bucharest clashed with gendarmes Wednesday morning when they tried to break through security lines.

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About 500 farmers are protesting because they weren't paid subsidies and say the animal breeding sector risks bankruptcy. About 500 gendarmes have been deployed in the area to oversee the demonstration and spokesman Marius Militaru said their number could be increased if protesters get violent.

Farmers are angry they weren't paid subsidies and are sounding cow bells, threatening to bring their sheep, goats and cattle to Bucharest for future protests.

Tudor Dorobantu, secretary general of the Agrostar union federation, said he doesn't think people will get their money because interim Agriculture Minister Radu Berceanu said it's highly unlikely that animal breeders would receive any subsidies by the end of the year except for cattle breeders, who get 200 lei (EUR1=RON4.2897) per animal.

Dorobantu said the country's Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture, which is in charge of paying subsidies, is not doing its job but has high administrative costs.

"It's a mammoth of an institution that uses up a lot of money, we (farmers) have to suffer and ministers always complain they have no resources," Dorobantu said.

On the other hand, Agriculture Minister-designate Adrian Radulescu, said farmers will certainly receive their money and the government will likely discuss this issue next week. He said the payment agency hasn't paid them yet because it has just finished inventorying their sheep and goats.

Animal breeders will also protest outside the Agriculture Ministry Wednesday and said 6.5 million sheep and goats are likely to be slaughtered and the animal breeding sector risks bankruptcy unless farmers get their subsidies.

The Agriculture Ministry's budget was increased by RON160 million last week to pay this year's subsidies per animal, but just for cattle breeding and to farmers who own at least three animals.

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