Moldovan president, agriculture minister discuss situation in agricultural sector

Chisinau, 25 July /MOLDPRES/ - President Maia Sandu today met Deputy Prime Minister, Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Vladimir Bolea. The two officials discussed the situation in the agricultural sector and the policies of the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry (MAIA), the presidential press service has reported.    

The Moldovan president stressed that, in the last three years, the support on behalf of the state for agriculture had constantly increased, reaching more than 6 billion lei. Subsidies were provided for small-scale irrigation systems and with donors’ support, the rehabilitation of three centralized irrigation systems was initiated. With government’s financial support, the farmers extended up to 961 hectares the areas of the multiannual plantations protected with anti-rain and anti-hail equipment. Also with the cabinet’s support, in the last three years, 402 farms were renovated and modernized and subsidies per head of animal have been provided for the first time since 2021.     

The discussions with Minister Bolea were focused also on the climate shocks and their impact on the agriculture. ‘’Advanced technologies, resistant crops are necessary, as well as to change the way of doing agriculture from a traditional one to one adequate to the climate realities,’’ the head of state said.  

The president noted that the authorities had managed to diversify the sales markets and to get better conditions of export for Moldovan goods. In 2023, Moldova became the biggest exporter of plums among the countries from the northern hemisphere, with a share of 73 per cent from the overall volume of plums exported to EU.     

„We managed to double the quantities of Moldovan table grapes, apples, tomatoes, garlic, sweet cherries and grape juice exported to the European Union without duties. Also in EU, for the first time ever, we export processed fowl and eggs. The rapprochement with EU means not only sales market, but also funds meant for the agricultural sector. We are to make important transformations in this sector. To fully turn to account the country’s agricultural sector, we should increase the productivity and competitiveness of our products,’’ the head of state added.