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Farmers’ protests will take place at the very end of the World Ice Hockey Championship, which takes place, among other things, in Prague’s Vysočany. The day before this event, trade unions will go on strike in Prague. The new protests were approved by the largest agricultural organizations led by the Agrarian Chamber of the Czech Republic.
Between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. there will be rides of agricultural machinery, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. there will be a demonstration in front of the Government Office, and between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. there will be an event for the public on the Letenská plain. The exact circuit of the tractors is yet to be specified.
The last farmers’ protest in Prague took place on March 7, when hundreds of tractors and thousands of farmers, mainly from Bohemia, came to the metropolis. A pile of manure dumped in front of Straka Academy also became a symbol of this event.
Since then, the largest agricultural organizations – i.e. mainly the Agrarian Chamber of the Czech Republic and the Agricultural Union – threatened to continue the protests, but in the meantime they had to go to the fields for spring work. This time they promise an even more massive event.
According to the president of the Agrarian Chamber, Jan Doležal, the government is not solving the difficult situation in the sector and is rather making it worse with some steps. “Therefore, we have no choice but to use these protests to draw the public’s attention to the fact that we really have big problems and that these problems need to be solved,” he said. “The behavior of Minister Výborný gives a clear signal that he will not do anything for us that does not cost him any money. It is one big misery,” he added.
The Agrarian Chamber previously sent thirteen demands to the ministry and gave them until the end of April to respond. The farmers evaluated the feedback as unsatisfactory. “Practically, not a single request was met,” AKČR said.
The organization requested, for example, to ensure sufficient operational financing of agricultural entrepreneurs in the amount of at least 2 billion crowns by the fall of 2024 or to prepare a memorandum on the support of demanding sectors of 2 billion crowns in 2025. Among the demands was a point to “mobilize funds to compensate for low purchase prices” especially for cereals using funds from the EU or more significant restrictions on duty-free imports of agricultural production from third countries.
Interview with the Minister of Agriculture
Minister Marek Výborný (KDU-ČSL) said that he did not understand the procedure of the Agrarian Chamber. “I am trying to do my best for farmers, and many things have already succeeded, including an extraordinary financial injection for farmers. I am convinced that protests will not help the current situation in any way,” he responded.
He added that the promise of aid in the amount of 2 billion crowns this year is valid, i.e. an increase in support for animal production by 550 million CZK and an increase in investment support by 1.5 billion CZK. “An increase in support for farmers by 2 billion crowns has also been agreed for next year. So is there really a reason to protest? For whom? With what purpose and interests?” he said.
According to one of the members of the Agrarian Chamber who participated in today’s meeting, the reasons are still the same. “The minister is trying, but they are only promises. For example, he promised two billion to support the countryside next year, but nothing is certain. He also promised not to give subsidies, which will not happen in the end,” said SZ Byznys.
The Association of Young Farmers of the Czech Republic, the Association of Private Agriculture of the Olomouc Region (ASZOK), the Initiative of Agricultural and Food Enterprises and the Czech-Moravian Association of Agricultural Entrepreneurs will also join the event. “I agree with that, although the minister sent a letter, but he did not satisfy me. They don’t keep their promises,” Václav Koutný, chairman of ASZOK, told SZ Byznys. For example, it bothers him that refundable deposits for the re-export of Ukrainian grain from Europe have not been introduced.
On the contrary, the Association of Private Agriculture is against holding protests, which has stated in the past that it is only an increase in subsidies for large companies.
