SaS to Convene Extraordinary Committee over Problems with Payments for Farmers

Bratislava, December 2 (TASR) - The opposition is preparing the convening of an extraordinary parliamentary committee for agriculture and the environment, TASR learnt on Friday. According to the opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, the reason for the convening is information from the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry about the method of paying direct payments to farmers. "So far, payments to farmers have been made in principle in such a way that approximately 90 percent of applicants received 100 percent of direct payments in December of the given year. However, for this year, according to the ministry's statements, direct payments will be paid in such a way that approximately 70 percent of applicants will receive 50 percent of direct payments in December," said MP Alojz Hlina (SaS) and member of the House committee for agriculture and the environment. According to Hlina, this decision of the ministry has a significant impact on the farmers' activities. "Therefore, as opposition MPs, we want to summon to the committee [Agriculture] Minister Richard Takac [Smer-SD], as well as Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA) head Ondrej Humaj so that both of them explain these facts to us thoroughly and appropriately," added Hlina. On Wednesday (November 29), in the presence of PPA director Humaj and vice-chair of the Slovak Agricultural and Food Chamber (SPPK) Andrej Gajdos, Takac reported that on November 30, the PPA would start paying advances at the level of 50 percent in direct payments for 2023. am/mcs