In Moldova, only 13% of the internal demand for beef is satisfied by national producers. In the case of poultry and pork, this figure stands at up to 64%. There is no domestic animal products sector where national producers would fully meet the demand. The collapse in the animal- breeding sector occurred following amendments made to the animal keeping system, Tatiana Nistorica, head of the Animal Products Quality Regulation and Policies Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, stated for IPN.
According to Tatiana Nistorica, when the privatization process started, the animals kept at farms started to be distributed to households. The livestock decreased considerably, from over 1 million to 180,000. Currently, the domestic market is only 65% supplied with national products. To reinvigorate the animal-breeding sector, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry aims to encourage animal owners to create family farms. In this regard, a strategy for the animal-breeding sector will be worked out, with appropriate mechanisms and means for supporting the sector.
The specialist noted that at farms, even the family ones, milk production can be even two times higher compared with that obtained by domestic owners. A privately owned cow can yield over 3,000 liters of milk a year, while at the firm the volume is of over 6,000 liters because there are specialists who take care of animal nutrition there.
Tatiana Nistorica also said that the new farms will meet the European standards. Money will be allocated this year from the Subsidization Fund for building and outfitting these.
