In the first half of this year the domestic output of meat rose by 10,000 tonnes, in particular on account of larger poultry and pork production, despite the fact that fodder prices haven't dropped, Agriculture Minister Valeriu Cosarciuc told a news conference. According to the minister, the measures taken by the Government to limit the markup added to meat imports to 20% have led to a slight decrease in prices. “Our aim is to orient ourselves toward a high value-added agriculture. This means not to stimulate exports of grains but rather the production of dairy and meat products, then we'll have high value added here, in Moldova”, said Valeriu Cosarciuc. The minister recalled that two weeks ago the Government approved technical guidelines for meat and meat products, which require importers and domestic producers to ensure the traceability of the products along all the production and marketing stages. “We are developing an action plan for the implementation of these guidelines, so that the economic entities can prove the origin and the safety of the products”, said Valeriu Cosarciuc. The minister added that in the first quarter of this year animan production rose by 12.7%, compared to 2.7% - the rise in crop output.