Farmers from Georgia to set up vine plantations with planting material imported from Moldova

Chisinau, 23 May /MOLDPRES/ - A nursery from Moldova exports to Georgia planting material with traditional Georgian varieties. Starting from 2018, the nursery will subject the planting material to thermal therapy, to make sure that the grafted cuttings and vines are free from pathogens and are safe for the creation of sound plantations. The equipment for thermal treatment of grafted cuttings and vines was bought with the support of the USAID High Value Agriculture in Moldova project and is the only of this kind in Moldova.       

About ten per cent of the planting material we are producing we export to Georgia, the director of the company, Vasile Vutcarau, has said. He noted that varieties specific to the Caucasus zone are exported to this region, such as Saperavi, Rkațiteli, as well as European varieties, like Merlot, Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet and Chardonnay. As a result of the thermal treatment, the nursery will be able to export also to EU, when Moldova gets the concerned acceptance, Vutcarau also said.    

In 2018, about 150,000 cuttings mother/father plants and over 30,000 grafted vines were thermally treated; they will be planted in Moldova and abroad. The new experience of the Elvitis-Com company was also shared with other nurseries, public institutions, as well as partners.  

A specialist in communication of the USAID High Value Agriculture in Moldova project, Inga Burlacu, told MOLDPRES that, during the presentation of the equipment of thermal therapy of the planting material, the director of the USAID Moldova mission, Karen Hilliard, said that the goal of the institution he represents was to improve the quality of the agro-food products from Moldova, so that they can be sold at higher prices, and this can be achieved by founding plantations with quality planting materials.      

The nursery Elvitis-Com annually produces about six million grafted cuttings and vines for about 20 varieties of table grapes and over 15 varieties of wine grapes, which are sold in Moldova, exported to countries of the eastern area and Georgia. The thermo-therapy of grafted vines, at a temperature of +50 Celsius degrees during 30-45 minutes, is a compulsory procedure in many EU member states. This procedure provides destruction of more pathogens, which can compromise the new vine plantations and the quality of grapes.    

The USAID High Value Agriculture in Moldova project in 2016-2021 is set to help agricultural producers enhance the competitiveness of the Moldovan farming high value products and increase sales on the local and international markets.  

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor L. Alcaza)