Weather conditions might affect Moldovan agricultural sector in 2019

Chisinau, 31 July /MOLDPRES/ – The torrential rainfalls and storms of late spring and early summer, drought in southern and central Moldova in recent weeks could affect the agricultural sector, especially maize and sunflower crops. The surfaces cultivated with these crops from the southern districts have also suffered from pests. The National Bureau of Statistics (BNS) has announced that, in the first half of 2019, plant production fell by 8.8 per cent compared to similar period of 2018.

According to the BNS's information and media communication service, the overall agricultural production in households of all categories (agricultural enterprises, peasant farms and population households), in January – June 2019, totaled MDL 05 billion 235.3 million, decreasing in January by 4.2 per cent (in comparable prices) compared to respective period of 2018. The decrease of global agricultural production has been also determined by the decrease of the animal production by 3.2 per cent.

The statistical data also show that in 2019 there were sown smaller areas with cereals and legumes for grains, but also technical crops, than in 2018. Similarly, in January – June 2019, compared to the same period of 2018, in households of all categories it was recorded the decrease of production (growth) of cattle and birds (live mass) by 3.1 per cent, which was influenced by the decrease of production in households with 6.6 per cent. In agricultural enterprises the production of cattle and poultry has increased by 0.6 per cent.

The milk production in households of all categories has decreased by 7.5 per cent, as a result of its decrease in households by 8.1 per cent, while in agricultural enterprises milk production has increased by 2.5 per cent.

The Independent Analytical Centre (CAI) Expert – Grup forecasts that in 2019 the added gross value in agricultural sector will increase relatively modest, by 1.8 per cent, and in 2020, under normal climatic conditions, the growth could constitute slightly over 04 per cent.

The Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure (MEI) forecasts for 2019 a relatively modest growth of agricultural sector, of about 1.5 per cent, and subsequently a stabilisation of growth in the range of 2.6 – 3.6 per cent. The relatively low growth rate of 2019 is explained by MEI by the fact that "previous years (especially 2016; 2017) were the most resultant of all the period of economic recovery, and achievement of a growth that would far exceed those performances is uncertain".