Agricultural output sees decline

Gross agricultural output in households of all categories, including agricultural enterprises, peasant households and people's households, represented 78.4% of the amount registered in 2011, according to the data of the National Bureau of Statistics. This gross decrease in agricultural production was determined by a significant drop in vegetative production, by 33.1%. Animal production fell by only 0.3%. A negative role was played by the significant reduction in the yields of grains. There were gathered about 460,000 tonnes in total, or 42% less than last year. Barley output constituted about 110,000 tonnes, or by 44% less. Decreases in yields, according to preliminary data, are also being registered for corn, sunflower, sugar beet, potatoes, field fruit and vegetables. Milk production fell by 4.1% in people's households, as well as the egg production, both in people's households, by 16.5%, and in agricultural enterprises, by 0.5%. The number of cattle and poultry in households of all types grew by 3.5% in this period. The Government will allocate 12 million lei for the purchase of feed, using the 50 million lei offered in aid by the European Commission to help Moldova alleviate the effects of this year's drought. The money will be distributed among households and individual stock farmers in all the southern districts, where the drought completely destroyed all plants used for feed.