The tobacco industry of Moldova has shrunk. The tobacco producers give up this business because the Moldovan sorts of tobacco are not in demand on the market, while the imported ones have a low productivity and do not cover the cultivation costs.

Serafim Terenti, chairman of the Association of Tobacco Producers, has told IPN that tobacco products from Turkish sorts of tobacco, which are aromatized, are intensely promoted on the home market. They say that these sorts are not dangerous for health, while the national sorts are marginalized.

“Unfortunately, the authorities also abandoned this industry. Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture had a section responsible for this sector, but now it does not. We, the producers, come together and discuss the problems we face, and that’s all we can do,” said Serafim Terenti.

He added that atomized sorts of tobacco started to be grown in Moldova this year, alongside the national sorts. There were planted about 100 hectares with such sorts.