Basescu deals with agriculture

PD vice-president Traian Basescu yesterday stated that the agriculture budget for 2001 was “an electoral gimmick of the PDSR-UDMR alliance.”

“The issue of the one million lei allowance granted for each hectare of cultivated land is another gimmick,” as by the withdrawal of the 500 lei bonus granted for each kilo of wheat, cultivators actually lose 750,000 lei for each hectare of cultivated land.

They also lose another 375,000 lei per hectare following the decision to impose excises for fuel used for agriculture works, Basescu says.

He adds that “the PDSR-UDMR alliance” is not willing to help small producers since the large agricultural product traders from PDSR and UDMR are interested in importing and not in boosting domestic output.

“I’m afraid that there is somebody inside this alliance who is trying to stimulate rather large imports from Hungary.”