Czech farmers continue to express their discontent with the EU’s agricultural policy, driving more than 3,000 pieces of machinery to the country’s borders with Slovakia, Poland and Germany, while other farmers took to mass protests in major Czech cities on Thursday.
The Czech Agrarian Chamber said several thousand Czech farmers took part in the protests. All protests were peaceful, with no conflicts with police.
Czech Agriculture Minister Marek Výborný (Christian Democrats) said he appreciated the peaceful protests. In an interview with local media, he noted that he agreed with some of the farmers’ concerns about excessive control and bureaucracy. Moreover, the Minister clarified that the aims of the Commission’s flagship programme should be realistic. He also commented on farmers’ opposition to the EU Green Deal in its current form:
“I am glad that it was made clear that Czech farmers realise that this deal is absolutely essential and crucial for us to maintain the quality of Czech arable land and our environment.”
Commenting on the issue of the EU duty-free trade with Ukrainian farmers, Výborný said that it was necessary to continue providing economic support to the war-torn country. However, the minister stressed that it was important to ensure that Ukrainian goods were on the same terms as EU products so that Czech farmers did not lose their competitiveness.
Výborný also added that the coalition was discussing proposals to improve the situation in Czech agriculture, including not taxing farm subsidies.
On Monday, hundreds of Czech farmers drove their tractors into the centre of Prague, disrupting traffic in front of the Agriculture Ministry.
This year, farmers across Europe, including in Poland, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, are coming out in mass protests against low prices and high costs, cheap imports and restrictions linked to the EU’s Green Deal climate change initiative. Concerned farmers are trying to draw the attention of politicians in the European Parliament to the problems of the agricultural sector, which is currently experiencing bad times.
