In response to farmers' expressed concerns over problems in the agriculture sector and its future, the presidium set up a working group of the party's political group in the parliament to seek a wider dialogue with social partners in the agriculture sector, the HU-LCD said.
The group will be led by ex-Agriculture Minister Kazys Starkevicius.
"The ministry needs reset and it will have them," Starkevicius told BNS after the presidium meeting, adding that the ministry's team needs updating.
Thursday's virtual meeting was also attended by members of the Lithuanian Agriculture Council.
The HU-LCD stressed that "Navickas is sticking with the ruling coalition's treaty, is consistently implementing the government's program and has started modernizing Lithuania's agriculture and improving the economic and social situation in Lithuania's rural areas".
Last week, Lithuania's Agriculture Council once again called for the resignation of Agriculture Minister Kestutis Navickas, saying that the minister has failed to resolve problems in the agriculture sector and there's a lack of leadership and dialogue on his part.
Navickas later said he had no plans to resign amid calls from farmers' organizations for him to step down.
"I have no plans to resign and I have no plans to renounce the Green Deal. I don’t know what could be clearer," the minister said.
In his words, the Lithuanian Agriculture Council and especially grain farmers are unhappy with the Green Deal and are putting political pressure.
Another farmers' organization – the Chamber of Agriculture – say it see no reason not to trust the agriculture minister.