The Government of the Republic of Moldova asked for the German Economic Team (GET) Moldova’s opinion about the crops that can be cultivated in Moldova and that have great potential for being exported to the EU in general and Germany in particular. The economists of GET Moldova suggested that in the short term Moldova can replace the dominant production of wheat and sunflower with that of soybean, sorghum, walnuts, hazelnut or honey.

GET Moldova project manager Jorg Radeke has told IPN that sunflower is a product that dominates the market and this could be easily replaced with soybean. One season is needed for collecting harvest. These products are not genetically modified and this is an advantage for Moldova.

The expert said the Moldova Investment and Export Promotion Organization and the Chamber of Trade and Industry are the first that should assist the farmers and inform them about the crops that can be exported. Creating value added is the next stage. Even if the demand for soybean is great, Moldova should better export directly soybean oils as the export of processed products is more profitable than that of raw material.

The Ministry of Agriculture can intervene in this direction by subsidization policies and by stimulating the creation of value added in Moldova, concluded the expert.