Agriculture minister anticipates 'a difficult year'

2012 will be a difficult year, but the problem of the country’s food security shouldn’t be exaggerated, stated Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov at a Press Club meeting in Chisinau, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the official, the scarce rainfall in August and autumn affected two-thirds of rape fields and one-third of the wheat and barley fields. The damage caused by the ongoing frost wave has been somewhat alleviated by a rather thick snow layer, but an accurate assessment is yet to be made. Vasile Bumacov recalled that the wheat harvest in 2010 was 770,000 tonnes and 833,000 in 2011. About 40% of the harvest was food-quality wheat. Besides covering the internal consumption demand, 200,000 tonnes were exported. “This year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry expects a lower harvest. It’s clear we won’t have wheat to export in 2012”, said the official. To meet the internal demand, 50,000 tonnes of food wheat will be added from the state reserve to the expected harvest of 240,000 tonnes. At the end of this month, the state reserve will be supplemented by 10,000 tonnes which will be bought on the domestic market from last year’s harvest. Besides these measures, Moldova monthly imports up to 3,000 tonnes of quality flour. “We’ll have enough for the baking industry, but it won’t be an easy year. Farmers need money for fuel, fertilizers and other products for farming, 90% of which are imported, but we won’t have money from wheat exports to buy them”, explained the Minister. Over 20 million lei was allotted from the budget to buy wheat. Farmers can submit their offers until February 29, 10.30 AM, at the Material Reserves Agency on Columna Street 118/1, office 25. More information can be obtained at the following phone numbers: (+373 22) 24-33-66 or (+373 22) 24-33-78. The tender will take place on February 29, at 11:00 AM.