The agricultural producers in Moldova are 99% supplied with seeds for warm-season crops. The situation is yet worse as regards the legumes, pumpkins and potatoes. The authorities explainthat this is due to the fact that most of the seed producing companies remained on the left side of the Nistru River, where there are also all the scientists in this field. Thus, Moldova imports about 60% of the vegetable and pumpkin seeds and about 80% of the potato seeds, IPN reports.

Head of the Seeds Control Division of the National Food Safety Agency Dumitru Rusu told a news conference that there are now 625 business entities that produce, process and distribute seeds. The country is now 99% supplied with seeds for summer crops. “Regretfully, seed imports increase. For example, we produce more sunflower seeds than we need and these remain in store because the people prefer to buy imported seeds,” he stated.

Dumitru Rusu also said that the production of corn seeds in Moldova decreased drastically and the country needs to import about 3,000 tonnes of corn seeds annually.

The farmers are now 84% provided with vegetable and legume seeds, 86% with pumpkin seeds and only 49% with potatoes seeds.