The farmers of Moldova can publish advertisements free on the announcements portal www.999.md. The owners of the portal established a partnership in a move to support agriculture, given the difficulties experienced by the farmers following the bans imposed by Russia.

In a news conference at IPN, website owner Dmitri Voloshin said that a new category was created recently – “Agriculture”. The announcements in this category can be placed free until this yearend. Starting with next year, there could be levied charges, not yet if the situation in agriculture remains as difficult.

The portal’s executive director Roman Stirbu said the Internet becomes increasingly accessible in Moldova and by this initiative they aim to create a direct connection between the producers and consumers. The category “Agriculture” will consist of several subcategories such as “Animal breeding”, “Fruit and vegetables”, “Milk”, “Meat” etc. The best offers will also have banners.

The chairman of the National Farmers Federation of Moldova Valeriu Cosarciuc approved of the initiative, saying it is very important for the farmers. It is planned that an electronic stock exchange will be created on this website to auction the offers of agricultural producers so that these get the best prices.

Valeriu Cosarciuc also said that the portal will help reduce the number of intermediaries as the consumers will be able to come into contact with the producers directly, so as to find exactly the products they want. The farmers can also form associations and offer larger quantities of products, including for buyers from abroad.

The National Farmers Federation of Moldova has over 27,000 members. These will be informed about the possibility of placing ads free on www.999.md through the agency of the corporate mobile phone network, during meetings and at the ten consultancy and information centers of the country.