Minister of Agriculture Einar K. Gudfinnsson plans to follow the advice of the Competition Authority and abolish tariffs on imported concentrated fodder for farm animals to increase competition and protect the interests of farmers and consumers.
Gudfinnsson told Morgunbladid that preparations for retracting the tariffs have already begun at the Ministry of Agriculture although it has not been decided when or how these plans will be executed.
A report from the Competition Authority states that the fodder tariffs protect local producers of animal fodder while maintaining an oligopoly and restricting competition in this market. “The tariffs thus harm the interests of farmers and consumers.”
The report argues that by retracting the tariffs, not only will production costs for farmers be lowered but also the price of the finished agricultural products for the benefit of consumers.
Retracting the tariffs would thus be an effort to help farmers cope with increased production costs. The Farmers Association of Iceland requested help from the Ministry of Agriculture in that regard last weekend.
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