The corn harvest is very poor this year, but Moldova’s food security is not yet in danger as the gathered corn is enough to satisfy the food and fodder needs, said the executive director of the Association of Grain Producers and Exporters “Agrocereale” Igor Grigoriev. According to him, the drought and the war in Ukraine pushed fertilizer prices up and disrupted supply chains, with the agricultural production being also affected, IPN reports.

“Owing to the drought and the rise in prices of fertilizers, the wheat and barley harvests decreased by 30% or even 50% in parts. Sunflower harvest was 30-40% lost. Corn is the most affected grain crop. It was 80-90% lost. There are farmers who say that 100% of their corn fields were affected. The average grain harvest in the country is by 50% lower than last year. But I want to note that a record grain crop was harvested last year,” Igor Grigoriev stated in the program “Reflection Points” on Vocea Basarabiei station.

He said that as the animal breeding sector in Moldova is not rather developed, even the harvested grain crop is enough to satisfy internal needs.

“The corn harvest last year was of 3 million tonnes. This year it will be of 700,000-800,000 tonnes. We will not experience a food crisis due to the grain crop. Even if the harvest is low, it satisfies the internal food and fodder needs of the Republic of Moldova. Despite the low harvest, the war in the neighborhood and the disputed supply chains, we manage to export,” stated the executive director of “Agrocereale” Association.

He noted that the export price of grain is very low and the purchase price inside the county is also low as a result. Currently, Moldova exports grain to Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Egypt, Libya, Italy, Spain and other counties.