Harvest of some Moldovan farmers almost fully compromised in the wake of last week bad weather

Chisinau, 31 July /MOLDPRES/ - The bad weather from the last week hit more farmlands with agricultural crops and orchards in Moldova, especially in the country’s northern region.   

The vegetables grown by Vladimir Caterinciuc from the Alexandreni village, northern Edinet district, were quite demanded on markets from the district centre. The recent hail, wind and torrential rains destroyed his harvest. Vladimir has two hectares planted with pepper, one hectare of aubergine, one hectare of water melon and melons, orchard.      

“Just when he was to pick up the harvest grown, the nature played destruction and destroyed everything. The farmer does not insure his crops against production risks, as he does not trust the insurers,’’ the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry (MAIA) said, contacted by MOLDPRES.   

Nothing has remained in the orchard of Nicolae Caraulon from the same settlement too. The fruit trees were planted in 2016 and 2022. Those 9.3 hectares were completely destroyed. The farmer started liquidating the consequences of the calamity, cutting the trees which fell down and releasing the plot of land. The orchard was not insured. The owner benefited from subsidies when planting the fruit trees. He borrowed bank loans this year. The wind was so strong, that all trees and the prop were destroyed and the carriage from the edge of the orchard was carried to a distance of some 50 metres. The desperate farmers try to find solutions.      

Deputy Prime Minister, Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Vladimir Bolea went on the spot and urged the farmers to buy insurance policies, as the state pays 70 per cent of the cost. At the same time, the farmers whose crops were compromised would be good to document them, in order to be able to benefit from compensation of damages, the official noted.  

According to preliminary information, the last week torrential rains with strong wind hit over 100 settlements from 10 districts, especially in the northern and central parts of Moldova. As a result, the roofs of over 60 living houses and of another 18 social and cultural buildings were deteriorated. At the same time, the bad weather destroyed more than 700 hectares of farmlands: crops, vineyard and orchards.     

Prime Minister Dorin Recean informed that the cabinet was providing material assistance for 74 settlements from six districts of the northern region. The support will reach citizens in form of construction materials from the state’s reserves, worth over 16 million lei (800,000 euros).   

Photo: MAIA