Agriculture ministers of Moldova, Belarus, Romania discuss impact of COVID-19 on agro-food sector

Chisinau, 28 July /MOLDPRES/ - The Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Ministry (MADRM) of Moldova and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today organized an online meeting of the competent ministries from Moldova, Belarus and Romania. The participants exchanged experience and information, other actions planned to attenuate the effects of COVID-19 on the food and agricultural systems.  

Attending the meeting were also representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), International Fund Agricultural Development (IFAD), which confirmed their support for this difficult sector.   

„The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic seriously hit the agricultural sector from all over the world, often limiting the access to the needed production materials and financial resources or the epidemic highlighted the important role of the commercial exchanges with agro-food products in ensuring the food security,’’ FAO sources aid. In the context, the sides considered the ways through which the countries approached disturbances on market and the measures undertaken for supporting farmers. The today’s meeting also represented a starting point for boosting the subsequent cooperation, in order to cope with and manage the impact of the pandemic on the food systems.         

“Our times are characterized by a density of environmental, economic and human health crises; yet, the countries know well the fact that the cooperation, exchange of good practices and information can open new ways for better solutions. FAO has an experience of 75 years in this field and we firmly believe in the catalytic power of the joint actions,’’ the FAO deputy director and regional representative for Europe and Central Asia, Vladimir Rakhmanin, said.     

„In Moldova, the negative effects of the pandemic were multiplied also by the severe natural calamities from this year, such as the drought, frost, hail, which led to a considerable decrease in the farmers’ incomes, reduced access to sales market and limited use of the labour force. Amid the present challenges imposed by the pandemic, the exchange of opinions and experiences becomes urgently necessary, in order to identify and take over good practices for the development of a sustainable sector,’’ Moldovan Agriculture Minister Ion Perju said.     

The participants estimated that the meeting had contributed to a better understanding of the way the quarantine measures hit the economy, agricultural production and trade in the three countries of the region. The information unveiled proved that the pandemic affected the food chains, in particular, the HORECA sector, creating also legal constraints of transport, increase in prices for production materials, as well as the insufficiency of liquidities for farmers, processors and traders.    

While discussing the long-run plans, the ministers expressed concern about a potential diminution in consumers’ demand, deficit of loans and bigger and bigger constraints, to which the national budgets will be subjected.   

The ministers emphasized the importance of the close coordination of policies between the neighbour countries and agreed on considering possibility to hold subsequent consultations in this format.    

In the last years, FAO provided Moldova with support through the implementation of more projects nationally and five projects regionally, focused on food safety, animals’ health, protection against drought.