Moldova, International Fund for Agricultural Development to sign new programme with budget worth 24 million dollars

Chisinau, 22 March /MOLDPRES/ - Moldova in next April will sign a new programme on financing with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) with a budget of 24 million dollars, of which five million dollars will represent grants, the director of the Consolidated Unit for Implementation of IFAD Programmes, Victor, Rosca, has said.

The money provided within the IFAD VII programme will be used to finance infrastructure, including restore water resources.

The financing opportunities offered within the Inclusive Rural Economic and Climate Resilience Programme (IFAD VI) during 2017 were unveiled at a today’s news conference. “There is no village, no farmer in Moldova who do not know the IFAD programmes,” Deputy Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Iurie Usurelu said.  

The International Fund for Agricultural Development provides financial and technical assistance to entrepreneurs, first of all to small and medium-sized enterprises, young entrepreneurs.

“IFAD VI has been underway for two years; yet, new financial and assistance products for agricultural producers have been recently approved. Presently, we have available a sum of 20 million dollars for all the financing components, including for grants,” Rosca said. He noted that grants worth eight million dollars are available for the maintenance and promotion of technologies adapted to climate changes.     

The programme offers grants worth 10,000 dollars for each project which provides for the minimum tilling of land. Thirty four non-refundable financings of this kind were provided in 2016 and 50 grants are available for 2017. Victor Rosca also said that non-refundable financings are provided to create forest belts, in order to prevent degradation of soil. Infrastructure projects, creation of small inter-village markets, development of post-harvest infrastructure are also financed.   

Among the new financial products, Rosca enumerated investment loans, direct grants, without loan components, as well as financings for ladies and girls.

The head of the financial department at the Consolidated Unit for IFAD Implementation, Elena Burlacu, presented a string of financial products for agricultural producers, including financings of up to 150,000 dollars for rural services, pre-investment and post-investment grants, grants for young entrepreneurs, members of savings and new loan associations. The members of the savings and loan associations may get financings up to 100,000 lei for a three-year period and young entrepreneurs managing microenterprises – 190,000 lei, of which 40 per cent account for grant for a five–year period.     

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, set up in 1977 as a multilateral financial body, according to a decision by the World Nutrition Conference from 1974 and is dedicated to the eradication of starvation and poverty in the rural environment in the developing countries. IFAD is financed from voluntary donations of all the 165 member countries. The volume of annual commitments for financing projects and grants stands at 450 million dollars.      

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor A. Raileanu)