The delayed harvesting and the rise in the prices of natural gas that is used by most of the grain elevators led to a rise in costs associated with corn drying. Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Viorel Gherciu told a news conference that the selling price of corn increased and he is hopeful that the producers will achieve a better result and will be satisfied with the crop, IPN reports.

The minister said that about 60% of the crop fields are now being harvested. The delay is not only due to the gas crisis. The corn was sowed with a delay. All the grain elevators currently work without interruption. In the case of some types, the corn can be stored without being dried.

Earlier, IPN reported that the harvesting of grain crops started with a delay of two-three weeks owing to the meteorological conditions. Some of the producers risk losing at least a part of the crop harvest as they gathered the corn when humidity was high and have now to dry it for being able to sell it, but do not have where to dry it owing to the shortage of such services.

The corn harvest this year is projected to exceed 2 million tonnes. More than half of the given quantity will be exported to countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. The corn prices on international stock exchanges are rather advantageous. Even with higher charges for drying services, the corn producers in Moldova will not suffer losses.