Program for digital transformation of agriculture to be activated in Moldova

Chisinau, May 25 / MOLDPRES /- A program of digital transformation of agriculture worth ten million lei (about 500 thousand euros) will be launched in the Republic of Moldova in June by the Agency for Agricultural Development and Modernization (ADMA) and the Future Technologies Project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Sweden.

Using a complex evaluation and selection methodology, the authors of a profile study developed a menu of over 30 digital technologies (grouped in five technological anchors) that are recommended to be taken over by agricultural entrepreneurs in Moldova. These include: Internet devices for smart farming, drones, smart farming management programs, mobile sensors for data collection, or IT solutions for climate resilience.

"These tools will support the authorities in driving the digital transformation of agriculture, enabling farmers to make key investments in new technologies. USAID will provide assistance worth about five million lei for technology programs in agriculture, together with ADMA, to stimulate the adoption of the technology. The agricultural sector is the foundation of Moldova's economy, and prioritizing its digital transformation will ensure that Moldovan farmers and food producers will be resilient to crises due to increased efficiency, productivity and sustainability, "said John Riordan, deputy head of USAID Moldova.

"As a co-financier with USAID, Sweden will support the Future Technologies Project in its agricultural interventions with ADMA. It is an initiative designed in a timely manner to help agricultural entrepreneurs develop mechanisms and systems that will ensure their resilience to the shocks of global food supply chains. Now, more than ever, Moldova's agricultural industry needs to invest in sensors, drones and other technologies that will increase competitiveness and help access new markets," said Madelene Eichhorn, program manager of the Embassy of Sweden in Moldova.

The index of digitization in agriculture in the Republic of Moldova is one of the lowest compared to the European Union (66.8 points out of 100), the main barriers being the cost of technologies, reduced skills to use them, and underdeveloped data transmission infrastructure.

Photo: MAIA