Several dozen agricultural producers from the central districts of the country were familiarized with new sorts of fruit and vegetables in a national seminar on February 7. The farmers were taught how to improve the quality of soil in hothouses so as to increase production, Info-Prim Neo reports. In the seminar, specialists of an international company spoke about new technologies and equipment, especially for irrigation. The company’s specialists last year took 82 samples of soil from six Moldovan settlements were the people grow vegetables mainly in hothouses. ACED vegetable production specialist Alex Bejan said the soil in Moldova is fertile, but needs better care. “Any type of vegetables can be cultivated here, but the soil must be tested permanently. The farmers must use acid solutions for irrigation water and fertilizers,” he stated. Similar seminars were organized for farmers from other areas of Moldova, said Oleg Stiopca, training coordinator within the Agricultural Competitiveness and Enterprise Development (ACED) Project. The activities are financed by the USAID and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The project aims to increase the high value agriculture’s contribution to the Moldovan economy.