- On August 14 this year, the guests of the head of the Ministry of Agriculture were farmers from the Independent Self-Governing Trade Union of Individual Farmers "Solidarity" with its chairman Tomasz Obszański.
- Farmers came to the minister, among other things, in the matter of implementing the act on the so-called thirty. They want the director of the National Support Centre for Agriculture to take an arbitrary approach to the provisions of this act.
- Representatives of Solidarity RI and the Minister of Agriculture also discussed the amendment of the Act on the Agricultural Protection Fund and on farmers’ pensions.
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NSZZ RI Solidarity with the Minister
Tomasz Ognisty from NSZZ RI Solidarność, who participated in the meeting with the minister, is very active in the matter of implementing the act on the management of agricultural real estate of the state treasury, which was adopted in 2011. This act ordered tenants to exclude 30% of state land and return it to the resources of the State Treasury, which was then to be distributed in tenders for farmers wishing to enlarge their farms. As is known, some entities excluded land, but some of them did not submit to the rigors of the aforementioned law.
In implementing the Act of 16 September 2011 amending the Act on the management of agricultural real estate of the State Treasury and amending certain other acts, the former Agricultural Property Agency sent 1,091 notifications to lessees meeting the criteria specified in this Act, proposing the exclusion of 135.8 thousand hectares of land.
In relation to 62% of the above-mentioned agreements, the lessees expressed their consent to exclude 30% of the leased land. 684 annexes to agreements were signed for the total area to be excluded, 78.6 thousand ha. In relation to 403 lease agreements (i.e. 38%) for an area of 177.1 thousand ha (including 57.3 thousand ha qualified for exclusion), the lessees rejected the proposed conditions for excluding 30% of the leased land.
– We believe that the director of the National Support Centre for Agriculture should implement the act adopted in 2011 – said Tomasz Ognisty after a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture. The farmer and union activist reported irregularities in the implementation of the above act in the Opole province, where he comes from and where he farms.
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The Minister informs about the course of talks
The Ministry of Agriculture announced that the talks focused on four main topics.
Trade unionists have once again raised the issue of the distribution of agricultural land from the statutory return of 30 percent of leased land to the National Support Centre for Agriculture.
– I understand the approach of farmers who want to enlarge their farms, but there is also a problem with the activities of companies related to animal breeding – said the head of the Ministry of Agriculture, referring to the problems related to the largest lessee in the Opole region (the Top Farms company – editor's note).
The Minister informed that next Monday he will go to the Opole Voivodeship to talk with farmers and KOWR representatives on this matter.
The trade union side expressed its disapproval of the proposed changes to the Act on the Agricultural Protection Fund, emphasizing above all the risk of destroying the idea that guided the creation of the Act, i.e. assistance to farmers.
The head of the Ministry of Agriculture also informed about funds from the European Union and the national budget allocated to help farmers who suffered as a result of spring frosts and hailstorms. At the same time, trade unionists were invited to participate in the summary of consultations conducted on the proposed changes to the Act on the Agricultural Protection Fund.
The next topic was issues related to agricultural pensions, including partial pensions. Farmers considered it unacceptable that the amount of agricultural pension after 25 years of work is the same as the amount of the so-called alcohol pension.
Trade unionists also drew attention to the insufficient funds allocated to the farmers’ rehabilitation fund in the KRUS rehabilitation centres and the low salaries of employees of the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund.
– The situation is indeed as you present it and that is why a draft law is being prepared to increase the amounts for rehabilitation benefits – informed the minister.
Farmers also raised concerns about the spread of ASF, including the lack of sufficient culling of wild boars.
– I am impressed by the atmosphere of today's talks. We all want to solve the most important problems of our agriculture – said Minister Siekierski after the meeting.
Representatives of RI Solidarność organized a press conference after the meeting with Czesław Siekierski. It was attended by: Tomasz Obszański, chairman of NSZZ RI Solidarność, Adrian Wawrzyniak, spokesman for NSZZ RI Solidarność and Tomasz Ognisty.
– I would like us to look first and foremost at what is possible to achieve, and your support is very important – said Czesław Siekierski, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, during talks with farmers’ representatives.
Below you can watch the speech of NSZZ RI members after the meeting with the Minister of Agriculture.
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