The agricultural producers who achieved noticeable results by the investment made with the support of the state and brought added value to the national economy were awarded in the 2017 AIPA Gala in the evening of February 24. The event was organized by the Agency for Intervention and Payments in Agriculture (AIPA) and brought together agricultural producers, representatives of public institutions, agricultural associations and companies and of the agroindustrial business community, IPN reports.

AIPA director Nicolae Ciubuc said the gala represents a sign of respect, admiration and even reward for the daily work and effort made to develop the agricultural sector. The importance of this sector is incontestable given its share in the national economy and the value of the products provided daily to people.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Eduard Grama said the farmers deserve to be motivated and appreciated. The largest investments made today in Moldova are those made in agriculture. “I want to assure you that we will have a bright future where agriculture will be a priority for our country and where the farmers will have weight and enormous respect,” he stated.

The National Farmers Federation of Moldova became the winner of the award “Professional association of the year”. SRL “Impex business grup” was awarded for innovations in agriculture. The title of Young Farmer of 2017 was conferred on the peasant farmstead Scutaru Victor, who grows apples on an area of 66 hectares. Olga Serbushko was named the most successful woman of 2017. In the gala, there were also awarded the most cooperative bank supporting farmers and the most successful investment in developing the post-harvest and processing infrastructure.