Over 150 fruits producers, including from the Transnistrian region, participated in a National Conference titled, Business of Fruits in Moldova, held in Chisinau on December 8-9. The event was organized by the Moldova Fruct Association, in partnership with the Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Activity project (RCRA) of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
“A decrease in the areas of harvest orchards has been recorded in the last years; yet, super-intensive orchards are planted, which provide rich harvests on small areas. Thus, the area of apple orchards was diminished by 11.4%, to 45.3 thousands hectares, plum orchards – by 15.3%, to 19.4 thousand hectares, peach orchards – by 23.6%, to 4.9 thousand hectares. At the same time, an extension in the areas of orchards of fruits demanded on export markets is registered. Thus, the areas of apricot orchards grew by 44%, to 4.9 thousand hectares, of sweet cherries – by 19.4%, to 4.3 thousand hectares and the areas of cherry orchards increased by 14.7%, to 3.9 thousand hectares,” the director of the Moldova Fruct Association, Iurie Fala, said.
In the context, Moldova Fruct said that there were more opportunities on export markets for fruits produced in Moldova; yet, cooperation was necessary, in order to overcome the major problems faced by farmers. Among the challenges enumerated by horticulturists, there is the lack of varieties demanded on the external market, non-compliance of the quality and inoffensiveness parameters demanded by importers, lack of services of insuring the export risks, extremely fragmented supply, etc.
Attending the event, Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Vladimir Bolea stressed the need for all parties to join efforts, in order to solve the problems faced by the producers. Head of the USAID mission in Moldova, Scott Hocklander, gave assurances that the agency would continue backing farmers’ efforts to enhance the quality of the agricultural products, improve the post-harvest infrastructure, implement the international standards and diversify the sales markets. (Moldpres/Business World Magazine)
