Agri-food associations asked foreign ministry for help in development of external relations

Chisinau, 28 January /MOLDPRES/- Representatives of several Associations of producers in the agri-food sector had a working meeting yesterday with Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and the ministry's team. Agri-food associations have called for support in promoting and expanding bilateral relations.

Discussions focused on the most pressing issues facing producers and processors, including the export of agri-food production and the need for dialogue between the MAEIE and employees of Moldovan embassies in countries with potential for Moldovan products.

"Promoting economic interest, attracting investment, tourism, are priorities of every Moldovan diplomat. We want an interaction with the Associations, to signal our needs, opportunities, directions of action. We have a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, we need to see what we can improve and please let us know when you identify shortcomings or opportunities. At the same time, we need to see what we can do in other markets where we have openness for our products ", he said.

Vitalie Gorincioi, president of the Association of Moldovan Fruit Producers and Exporters noted that fruit growers were among the first to start exports to the EU market, thanks to the efforts of diplomatic missions that supported producers.

"We want in every embassy, ​​where we have economic interest, to have specialists who know the specifics of the trade of that country, to be able to create links with reliable traders. We ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get involved and help us get tax-free access for our apples in Egypt - this is a topic that has been lingering for years, but we are talking about a market of 100 million consumers ", said Vitalie Gorincioi.

The producers also requested the extension / continuation of the ENPARD Program which would have a multiplier effect of channeling the resources from the state and private budgets in order to modernize the agri-food and rural sector conditioned by the implementation of a necessary agricultural reform agenda.

"In terms of energy efficiency, taxation and veterinary requirements (SPS) we have over 241 pieces of legislation that need to be transposed into the national framework, and we do not have the institutional capacity to do so. It can take up to 6 months to transpose an act. It would be good to ask for support and funding from external partners in order to be able to implement all the regulations for which we are committed. We want to have a development, to modernize, but we want to have a fair and non-discriminatory approach ", said Carolina Linte, president of the Association of Milk Producers and Processors.

For the next period, the ministry representatives proposed the intensification and transposition of the most important legislative acts of the DCFTA, the creation of a permanent communication platform with the Associations in the agri-food sector, dialogue between producers and ambassadors of the Republic of Moldova.

Photo: Moldova Fruct