Food security ensured in Moldova, wheat price up by over 30 per cent

Chisinau, 6 August /MOLDPRES/ - The 2015 winter wheat harvest exceeded 920,000 tonnes, above the average of the past five years, yet by 15 per cent less than in 2014. The food and feed safety is ensured, announced Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Ion Sula at a conference press today.

Moldova’s wheat needs are estimated at 340,000 tonnes. About 65 per cent of the harvest gathered this year is food wheat, compared to 40 per cent last year, added the minister. The harvest reached 2.8 tonnes per hectare. "This is a good result ,considering the adverse weather conditions of the last autumn and the pretty high temperatures in May 2015," said Ion Sula. According to him, an amount of 350-400,000 tonnes of grains will be exported to Arab countries, Turkey as well as EU states. Currently, Moldova exports wheat to the UK and Italy.

The official also noted that grain prices had increased against 2014. Thus, the wheat price is 2.8-3.0 lei per kilogram, compared 1.80-2.20 lei last year, and barley cost 2.50-2.70 against 1.50-1.70 lei per kilogram in 2014.

The agriculture minister also said that the Bakers's Association had demanded a price increase for bread by up to 15 per cent. For its part, the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry asked bakers to submit the necessary calculations to see whether their demand was justified.

Data by the National Statistics Bureau shows that the total harvest of wheat stood at 795,000 tonnes in 2011, 495,000 tonnes in 2012 and exceeded 1,000,000 tonnes in 2013 and 2014.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor M. Jantovan)