The drought, but also the heavy rain with hail compromised agricultural crops in a number of districts. In the north and center of the country, up to 70% of the crop fields were affected, while in the south the affected areas reach 100%. The data were presented by the heads of district agricultural divisions in a meeting with Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea, IPN reports.

In Anenii Noi district, the productivity per hectare for wheat is between 2 and 6 tonnes. The economic agent that collected over 6 tonnes of wheat per hectare applies modern technology, including irrigation systems. Two tonnes of winter wheat per hectare is the average for Cahul district. In Briceni district, the figure stands at 3.8 tonnes for winter wheat and 3 tonnes for spring wheat. The harvest is lower than last year, when the weather was more favorable. Farmers reported compromised sunflower and corn harvests, in some cases of 100%. In Cahul district alone, the damage to first group cereals was estimated at 134 million lei. In Briceni, the hail destroyed hectares of multiannual plantations, the damage rising to over 19 million lei.

Minister Vladimir Bolea told farmers that the subsidies per hectare (they are applying for) are in the member countries of the European Union. The state is unable to provide farmers with €360 million, which is the estimated value of the compromised harvests. The official urged them to vote in the October 20 referendum for the country’s European course. “We go massively to take part in the referendum, we vote and bring closer the entry of the Republic of Moldova into the European Union and then we will talk about subsidies per hectare,” was the minister’s message. He noted that the Ministry is for providing subsidies per hectare, but financial resources are needed for the purpose.