Moldovan PM participates in finishing of High Value Agricultural Activity in Moldova project, launch of new USAID project

Chisinau, 7 October /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita today participated in a ceremony on the finishing of the High Value Agricultural Activity (HVAA) in Moldova project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the launch of a project titled, Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Activity in Moldova, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.     

The project finished, after six years of implementation, with a budget of 25.86 million dollars, was aimed at promoting a modern agricultural sector and backing the value chains for table grapes, wines, vegetables, natural honey, berries, apples and stone fruits. As a result, during the project’s implementation, 229 grants worth 6.35 million dollars were provided, sales worth 195 million dollars were facilitated and more than 10,000 farmers were trained and assisted in new production technologies. Most HVAA activities remained relevant, in order to help agricultural producers cope with the challenges triggered by the war in Ukraine, especially the ones of identifying new markets for agricultural products.  

At the same time, the project launched, Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Activity in Moldova, is planned for a period of five years, in order to stimulate the sustainable and comprehensive reestablishment of the country, hit by the regional crisis, and to speed up the economic development of the rural settlements from Moldova. With a budget of 49.7 million dollars and a fund of grants amounting to 13 million dollars, the project will back the value-added agriculture, which includes the sectors of horticulture, bee-keeping and ecological agriculture, wine-making industry and the tourism sector. Thus, USAID will contribute to the enhancement of the competitiveness of these sectors, to the creation of new jobs and reducing the exodus of labour force from Moldova, through encouraging the Diaspora to get involved in the agriculture and tourism sectors.       

„Today, along with our faithful development partner, we launch a new project meant to enhance the rural competitiveness and resilience in Moldova. Through such projects, we contribute to increasing the profitableness of each hectare of farmland, improve the quality of the products cultivated, the sales on the local and international market and, not in the least, encourage the sustainable partnerships in the agricultural sector,’’ Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said in her speech.   

The PM stressed that the agriculture was on the top of the government’s concerns and the authorities remained with the people who invest in this field and support them by all means to develop their potential. ‘’Despite the multiple crises which we have faced this year, we managed to provide concrete support, which is already felt by farmers. The producers from the agricultural sector from Moldova can export to the European Union without the payment of customs duties a twice as much volume against the year before,’’ Natalia Gavrilita noted.     

Also, according to the prime minister, the micro-, small- and medium-sized agricultural producers already benefit from the 100-per cent compensation of the excise duty on diesel used since the beginning of 2022 and the big producers will benefit of compensations in quantum of 30 per cent. Thus, over 300 million lei was allocated to fully compensate the excise duties on the diesel used by farmers this year. At the same time, in 2022, the Agency of Intervention and Payments for Agriculture supports 42 enterprises beginners in the launch of startup projects with the planning of investments in the agricultural sector. Also this year, the government earmarked 1.75 billion lei for the national fund of development of agricultural and rural environment, which is by 60 per cent more against the previous year.         

Photo: Government