I have written many times about the Ministry of Agriculture, with 110 subordinate institutions, while all agriculture is private. What does the Ministry of Agriculture do? Does it give instructions to farmers on what and how to cultivate and manage their lands? We had reached the paradox of the existence of the Agricultural Directorate of the Municipality of Bucharest, who should do what? To count pansies on the boulevards? Finally, it was abolished!
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In the Grounding Note of the GEO regarding the modernization of the Ministry of Agriculture, the general framework is presented as if Romania's agriculture were state-owned:
“The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has an essential role for the unitary development of national agricultural policies, but also for the creation of the national administrative framework for the granting of European funds intended for agriculture in full accordance with European norms”.
There is an institution, APIA (Agency for Payments and Intervention for Agriculture), which deals with granting European funds for agriculture, why was there a need for 110 institutions and a ministry to deal with the same thing? I have said it in previous articles: the Ministry of Agriculture has no logic to exist in a state with completely private agriculture. A few institutions were sufficient to deal with European funds and a few other services necessary for farmers.
What is the task of 41 County Agricultural Directorates? Were 8-10 not enough, per region, especially with large agricultural areas? What does the Agricultural Directorate of Prahova County do? Does it measure how much brandy the county's residents make? It's laughable to the turkeys!
Measures provided for in the GEO
– 73 credit orderers are abolished, from 166. That is, 93 credit orderers remain, institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Agriculture. If a credit orderer meant an institution, it turns out that I did not know, before this GEO there were 166 institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Agriculture, not 110 as I thought.
Here are the central institutions that are being abolished:
– 5 central public institutions: the National Agency for Animal Husbandry “Prof. Dr. GK Constantinescu, the National Agency of the Mountain Zone, the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Central Laboratory for the Quality of Seeds and Planting Material, the Central Laboratory for the Control of the Quality and Hygiene of Wine. 68 public institutions at the territorial level are also being abolished: 30 Territorial Inspectorates for the Quality of Seeds and Planting Material, 37 Offices of Pedological and Agrochemical Studies, Directorate for Agriculture of the municipality of Bucharest.
OUG also says in art. 4
“The staff of the institutions that are dissolved as a result of the reorganization are fully taken over by the public institutions to which their activity is transferred, in the positions established for this purpose, with the inclusion in the number of positions approved for these institutions, according to the legal provisions, benefiting from the salary rights granted, according to the law, for the categories of functions within the institution that takes over the activity.”
It is not clear. Is there a reduction in personnel and a decrease in the salary envelope or not?
“216 management positions are abolished and salary expenses are reduced by at least 10%, explains the Minister of Agriculture.”
We will follow in the 2026 budget if the promise of the Minister of Agriculture is real.
At the same time, the reorganization aims to eliminate institutional parallels and excessive procedures that slow down the decision-making process and affect the relationship with farmers. The new administrative structure will allow better coordination of agricultural policies and a unitary approach at national level, explained the minister. And why did it take 30 years for such a simple judgment?
The Ministry of Agriculture and subordinate institutions currently have 14,200 employees. Once again, there is no logic for the 41 County Agricultural Directorates, 8-10 would be sufficient and the same reasoning for other types of institutions.
What happens to the lands still at ADS (Administration of State Domains), how are they managed? Can we have a report on the earnings of ADS and the state from these lands?
Does Dan Voiculescu still have 4000 hectares leased from ADS? At what rent?
How are we doing with the rights of the citizens who definitively won their lands confiscated by the communists in the courts? Were these lands returned to them? Can we have a report on the situation of these lands claimed by the old owners?
The recent GEO, approved yesterday, represents a step forward, but it is insufficient. In a field where all economic activity is privatized.
The GEO adopted yesterday should have been put into public debate for more time, and Prime Minister Bolojan should read the reactions of the population on the subject of Agriculture, then issue the GEO for discussion.
