ESTONIAN AGRICULTURE UNDER THE SCYTHE.
Published:
26 August 1999 y., Thursday
Farmers picked up their scythes and rallied before the Estonian Parliament last week in a bid to call attention to what they say is an agricultural crisis. Around 500 farmers gathered before the Parliament building on Toompea giving passionate speeches and waving banners that protested against Estonia_s open market policy. Protest banners urged Prime Minister Mart Laar to impose customs tariffs. Others demanded, "Voimix back to Finland!" and claimed, "Agriculture will fall under the scythe of death!" Inside the Parliament building members were debating a bill, which had been introduced by the opposition, to impose customs duties on food products imported from third countries and the European Union. Toomas Paur, deputy to Urmas Laht, who heads the rural life crisis committee, said protesting farmers from across Estonia had united in a show of strength to bring attention to their plight.
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Opposition to Europe's single currency is on the rise in Sweden, a member of the European Union which is outside the euro zone
more »
About 20,000 people gathered for a meeting of the opposition at the building of the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in the centre of the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Saturday
more »
After three rounds of voting, the Czech parliament on Friday elected a new president: former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus
more »
More than 60 per cent of the respondents of the poll carried out by the Estonian European Movement wanted the EU debate to focus on maintaining Estonia's identity
more »
In a speech commemorating the 85th anniversary of Estonian independence on 24 February, Arnold Ruutel said the great progress that Estonia has made in recent years has come at a regrettably high social price
more »
Poland's unemployment rate hit a post-communist high in January, rising form 18.1 to 18.7 per cent the previous month, the government said yesterday
more »
Finnish and other tourists walking in the area of Vyborg's market square and the covered market need no longer fear being hustled by traders or falling victim to pickpockets
more »
Latvian youth organizations organized a picket in front of the U.S. Embassy in Riga
more »
Everyone from Microsoft Corp.’s Bill Gates to booth pitchmen are hyping the joys of wireless networking at this week’s Comdex trade show
more »
In a further blow to Northern Ireland's peace process, a civil servant has been arrested as part of an investigation into alleged IRA spying
more »