“I want Moldova to be the country that produces healthy food, not genetically modified ones and full of hormones. Hence, European resources will be used towards promoting strategic policies for the country”, stated Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov in an interview with Info-Prim Neo, {published on 27 December} as part of the “Year 2012 in the life of Moldova and its people” Series. Vasile Bumacov said the Ministry of Agriculture is currently in the search of a method of encouraging the construction of farms. “We do not have enough milk in the country, we don't have beef, pork. This is what we want to support. I am really worried in regards to meat imports, because when there is none, we are forced to import. What comes in contains hormones, butter contains vegetable oil. We must make our own products and prove that what we have is of much higher quality”. Vasile Bumacov said that for 2013 Moldova has already obtained €14 million for pilot programs. Of this amount, almost 50 million lei will land at the Ministry of Agriculture, and it will spend the funds on programs that foster development. “We pay ventures that attract investments, we want to support the farmers' investments, support them in assuming responsibility. We don't want to subsidize, for example, wheat cultivation, a field in which we are not that competitive. We need to ensure alimentary security. Thus, if we need 300,000 sown hectares of wheat, we have enough. If we observe high-grade agriculture: berries, vegetables, fruit, grapes, wines, canned goods, meat – areas with added value”. As regards Moldova's preparedness to meet the requirements of the Free Trade Agreement with the EU, which is expected to be signed at the end of last year, Vasile Bumacov said the authorities have been preparing for a long time for this. “We realize that when you enter a market where you have some modernized producers, and some not so modernized, the latter get to suffer a great deal. (…) Nobody loves to be in a competition field, but that is the only way a country can modernize, that is the only way to progress. Thus, producers must understand that there is no other way than competition. If the are not competitive, the will be squeezed out of the market”, said Agriculture Minister Vasile Bumacov in his interview with Info-Prim Neo.