WB launches last bid of grants for Moldovan farmers

Chisinau, 28 September /MOLDPRES/ - The World Bank's Project ”Competitive Agriculture in Moldova”, jointly with the Agriculture and Food Ministry, launched the last bid of grants of the investment programme ”Facilitating access to sales markets”. The project's total budget is of 7 million dollars.

The programme provides producers groups with non-refundable financial support in amount of up to 350,000 dollars in order to create post-harvest infrastructure, but not more than 50 per cent of eligible costs. Groups of producers, made up of 5 members at least with an individual activity for 3 years in the horticultural sector, will benefit from financial support. The money is to be used to purchase technological and post-harvest equipment (sorting, washing, calibrating, packaging lines, drying rooms, refrigerating equipment).

The Agriculture Ministry's press service specifies that „in 2014-2015, three grant calls addressed to farmers were made, to which 29 applicants participated”. The evaluation commission approved for financing 26 projects and the total amount of grants was of 6 million dollars.

Once those 26 investment projects implemented, the total amount of which gets to 14 million dollars, 22 refrigerators for keeping horticultural products will be built, 10 rooms or sorting, calibrating and packaging lines will be installed, 4 fruits drying rooms will be built, forklifts, refrigerating transport will be purchased in 15 districts. 

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor L. Alcaza)