The investments in innovation technologies to prepare the land for sowing made the agricultural year 2016-2017 be one of the best during the last few years. An increasing number of farmers realize the risks that can appear owing to the unfavorable weather conditions and use different protection techniques, secretary of state at the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Iurie Usurelu was quoted by IPN as saying in a news conference.

According to Iurie Usurelu, an increasing number of irrigation systems have been installed near agricultural areas and less farmland is thus affected by drought. More farmers use chemicals and seeds of a higher quality and this enabled to obtain a better harvest. The areas protected against hail were also extended. Conservative soil tillage technologies when land is plowed once in four years and the furrows are not tuned upside down are more wisely used.

“The agricultural year 2016-2017 started last autumn, when it was drought. Winter crops were sowed with delay and we entered winter unprepared. The areas of some crop fields were reduced. But winter was generous. There was rain and soil moisture was appropriate. Only horticulture was affected by this spring’s tempests,” stated Iurie Usurelu.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Ion Parea said the wheat harvest totaled 1.17 million tonnes. The average yield per hectare was 3.8 tonnes, by 0.77 tonnes higher than last year. The wheat areas totaled about 300,000 hectares. The harvest of winter and spring barley was almost 250,000 tonnes, while of sunflower seeds was over 750,000 tonnes.

The sugar better yield came to over 650,000 tonnes. There were gathered more than 750,000 tonnes of vegetables, 310,000 tonnes of which were potatoes. The tomato harvest totaled 82,000 tonnes.