Successful meeting for farmers held in Borsa

Twelve farmers, Deputy Mayor Simion Tamaş and the mayor's office clerk Mihai Chişu came to the information meeting and discussed traditional land use practices; CAP support and the problem of ageing for the continuance of agriculture with us.

After Inge Paulini presented the aims of the project (please find the handout here), Natalia Timus illustrated why Borsa's hay meadows are of European importance with a presentation about Maculinea butterflies. Afterwards Razvan Popa led a lively discussion with the land users about the agricultural support payments which they already get and the agri-environmental payments which are currently not available for Borsa and some other neighbouring communes.

Andrei Crisan then presented the project's experimental support programme for 2011, in which those land users of the Secheliste hay meadow complex who have mown their parcels this year can participate (please find the terms here). Feedback was quite positive and led to a discussion of the possibility of launching a farmers' association - an excellent suggestion which we will follow up in 2011.

At the close of the meeting Mircea Troc collected the names of the Secheliste farmers who were not present at the meeting, so that they can be contacted during the next few weeks. The meeting was very positive and friendly - a great start to the project's work with the farming community. At this point we want to express our gratefulness to the mayor's office for the organizational help. Pictures of the meeting are accessible in our photo gallery.