Slovakia Party: Minister Takac's Six Months of Work Produced No Fruit

Bratislava, April 9 (TASR) - Half a year of Agriculture Minister Richard Takac's (Smer-SD) work hasn't borne any fruit, the opposition 'Slovakia' party said in response to statements made by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) following his working meeting at the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, the slow action of the [agriculture] minister and his team reflects the unwillingness to take decisive steps at the ministry to strengthen support for farmers, self-sufficiency of Slovakia and to reduce food prices. We have the highest food prices in the V4 [Visegrad Four] countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia]. The government even approved last month an analysis in which it considers that food price regulation to be sufficient and that there is no need to reduce food prices. Minister Takac also voted in favour of this analysis. I consider this to be a deception of the people," said Rastislav Kratky ('Slovakia', 'For the People', 'Christian Union' caucus, a member of the parliamentary agriculture and environment committee. According to him, the Agriculture Ministry, headed by Minister Takac, set itself a deadline for the payment of funds from the Agricultural Payment Agency to farmers by the end of January. "The minister missed his own self-imposed deadline. Instead, our farmers are suffering and many haven't been paid to this day," stressed Kratky. The 'Slovakia' party emphasises that the Agriculture Ministry needs a clear goal and setting up a system that brings regional selling markets, modern land management, efficient water management, support for family farms and young farmers. "The ministry should deal with all areas that fall under the ministry, not excluding food producers, veterinarians and forest managers," added Kratky. Relief of a part of the social levies for the farming sector should be extended until the end of the year, said Agriculture Minister Richard Takac following his working meeting with Premier Robert Fico (both Smer-SD) at the Agriculture Ministry on Tuesday. The levy relief is currently in place until the end of June. am/mcs