Prime Minister Robert Fico accompanied by agriculture minister Lubomir Jahnatek, head of the agriculture and food chamber SPPK Milan Semancik, and an entourage of invited journalists headed off to Fico’s birth region today to check out this year’s harvest in what can only be referred to as a PR campaign.
During his visit to the farming co-operative in Neverice in the Nitra Region, the prime minister noted how this year’s harvest was better than last year, and how this could even lead to slightly lower food prices. It is basically all speculation, though, because there is no or very little chance of food prices in Slovakia being cut.
Fico threw the ball into the court of retail chains, though, saying they should have the “healthy sense” to cut prices, which would help everyone and also combat inflation pressures.
The whole exercise and the resulting claims can be classed as a mere populist campaign reminiscent of the kind that used to be seen during communism. Various marketing experts speaking to SME daily agree that the PM is out to gain the favour of the rural voters and increase his already swelling support and socialist image. Maybe we can expect to see the return of the famous five-year plans next.
Mattej – Thanks for that info about land ownership. My wife’s family has, after years of struggle, got a small percentage of their land seized by the communists back. The rules about compensation or return of land seem to change depending upon which department you contact. Land that was taken and built on appears to be “lost” for ever and even undeveloped land to difficult to get back if certain local personalities are involved. It was State initiated robbery which, because of incompetent or just bent judiciary, is continuing. In one bizarre incident my mother-in -law was approached by a developer to ask if should would sell some land she was unaware she owned. Upon investigation the title had been transferred back to the family but they had not been informed? You have to wonder why?
George – We would both love to flit Neverneverland unfortunately, the wife is somewhat tied by her elderly parents. I actually love Slovakia it’s just the petty bureaucacy, indemic dishonesty and the liberal scattering of complete D.heads that spoil it for us. So until our anchors have been “stowed” we must try and make our own little haven here and let the numbties get on with their sad lives.
I admire Fico for ruling that this grain will stay in SK despite high prices for wheat worldwide, a large government debt and large foreign corporations owning much of the land.
Where the the heck did you read that DRick ??
Wait until next year with the new law allowing non-EU folk to purchase farmland.
The Chinese will open their coin purse and we will all be learning Mandarin.
Ric – I am pretty sure foreigners are not allowed to buy agricultural land here but then again I am sure there is some loophole for the likes of Benta and others. As for Fico’s ruling – smoke and mirrors my friend, he can’t stop produce being sold outside the country – ask him where most of the SVK lamb and beef production ends up, certainly not in the shops here. There is a surplus of almost everything in the EU which BnM could use as a method of controlling prices through a Govt. intervention policy. That however would require some forward thinking and it’s so much easier to get his popularist, if unrealistic, ideas published in the press and then actually do nothing safe in the knowledge that 46% of Slovals believe everthing he says.
At present only Slovaks and EU citizens can purchase orna poda (farmland).
January 1 2014, anyone will be able to beyond EU borders.
Land will be returned to the people once we have the revolution / Bewarned all those that steal the Slovak peoples property .
Will the revolution be before or after the BA – Kosice motorway is completed?
Your name is now on our list Mr Dave .
I thought you had already packed your bags DC and were just waiting for a country to accept you, having fell out of love with the Island known as Slowvakia ?
Thanks for that Mattej! I can’t see the Chinese or anyone else buying farmland unless they see a profit in producing something on it. I am always amazed at the amount of land around the country that is obviously uncared for and uncultivated. If it results in more and cheaper food then maybe the question should be why that isn’t so now, not who owns the land.
Lady G. My name is on your list – who did you get to write it for you? Have faced some of the world’s real bad guys I am not going to lose any sleep worrying about anything a Slovak may dream up. History is a great comfort – you already had one revolution and totally cocked that up. After over four years here I know that even if every functioning brain cell in the country was applied you lot could not organise a one ticket raffle.Dream on Lady G. Keep taking the meds!
@Dave C.
Its quite sad actually. Many families left for the USA or wherever in the 1930s and never came back. There is a very large % of land that has not been claimed nor most likely will never be challenged. For this reason the land is run by the Slovenský pozemkový fond and even if you tried to get your family’s land back after decades, it takes years and the land you may get if you are lucky is not the actual land if orna poda but another plot that is not upsetting present farmers. The monopoly on this land by a few is quite sad.
” no or little chances of food prices being cut” – Doh! While BnM was walking through a field of wheat in SVK he should have remembered that as part of the EU and the CAP the postage stamp sized efforts of the SVK farmers have little or no effect on overall EU cereal production. Even the “bad harvest” years of the past saw the EU produce far more than was required. This years forecast is 50 million tonnes having to be stored at a massive cost to us all.
The now infamous ” bad harvest in the SVK prices must rise” is just smoke and mirrors from producers, manufacturers and retailers out to make a fast buck. If the government wants to battle rising prices they could – buy cereals from the EU stocks, at the current depressed prices and flood the local market or more easily fix or cap prices in relation to the EU price for cereals. No need for five year plans, ten minutes work for his majority government.
On the subject of SVK agriculture – it would appear that CAP subsidies and grants have been paid to the land owners here NOT to the farmers actually growing the crops, which explains much including, possibly, why Glorious Leader is the owner of an unkept vineyard!
Don’t forget Dave, those subsidies and grants didn’t just go to anyone!! not Mr struggling farm in need of desperate modernization to meet E.U standards or go bust, oh no! But Mr, yes minister i can pay your fixer the 5-10% so you award me my lovely EU subsidy!!!!
Very true Slimedg, and don’t forget the landowners who have never grown a thing or raised any animals raking in the dosh under the “set aside” con which is also very popular here.
How can Fico raise salaries?
Ric, ever seen a camp video song by a group called IMAGINATION ?
It`s … JUST AN ILLUSION
HUh?
Too many things needed to be fixed.
Popularity could be achieved by improving living conditions, salaries, less corruption and fixing those archaic laws regarding citizenship. 1993 was 20 years ago and if SR does not catch up with the times, I see more trouble ahead.
Take a look at Hungarian simplified citizenship and compare that to the present hell of SR citizenship…just sayin.