Moldovan agriculture employees mark professional day

Chisinau, 25 November /MOLDPRES/ - The employees of the agriculture and processing industry sector marked their professional day at a festivity held in Chisinau today.   

The event started with the singing of the national anthem. The participants summed up the results of the current agricultural year, analyzed problems they are facing and set goals for future. At the same time, more farmers were awarded merit diplomas on behalf of the government.   

Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Minister Nicolae Ciubuc has said that this year had not been easy from the viewpoint of the agriculture. ‘’We witnessed the collapse of more hopes. Although we have a rich harvest of apples, plums, grapes, nevertheless, the climate conditions, unpredictability, low prices and market’s absorption capacity made this increase of the production become a burden for many farmers,’’ Ciubuc said.   

According to the minister, this year, the maize production grew by 56 per cent, the volume of fruits harvested was by 25 per cent larger and the harvest of grapes increased by 15 per cent. As a result, the exports of agricultural products increased too and they reached, most times, the European Union’s market. 

Attending the event, Prime Minister Pavel Filip said that agriculture had a share of 12 per cent in Moldova’s Gross Domestic Product. The PM said that the farming sector was very important for the country’s economy and urged farmers to invest in products with value added, in modern equipment and technologies, so that they are sure that the products can be sold and will bring profit. ‘’I want the farmers do not think about selling what they produce, but to produce what is sold,’’ Filip said. The prime minister also said that the authorities would further increase the subsidization fund in agriculture, depending on possibilities.  

In 2018, about six billion lei has been invested in Moldova’s agriculture. One quarter of the residents from rural zones work in this sector.