Climate changes can endanger country’s food security, say experts

Moldova’s food security can be in danger if the authorities do not take measures to adjust agriculture to the changes in weather conditions, considers Tudor Bajura, the head of the Agrarian Economy and Rural Development Center of the Institute of Finance, Economy and Statistics, Info-Prim Neo reports. “It is considered that Moldova will not have food-related problems in the future, but the studies carried out by the Institute show the opposite,” Tudor Bajura said on August 14 during public debates on the Draft National Strategy for Mitigating Natural Risks and Climate Change. According to Bajura, about 1 tonne of grain per capita is needed yearly for the population of Moldova to have the necessary agri-food products. “During the past five years, Moldova harvested about 600 kg of grain per capita and this shows that Moldova is not so immune to food shortages,” Tudor Bajura said. Agriculture specialists say that no appropriate measures are being taken to reduce Moldova’s vulnerability to natural risks and entropic factors. According to Vasile Marzenco, the president of the National Farmers Federation, given the climate change, Moldova should irrigate the agricultural land and plant crops that are resistant to drought so as to avoid food shortages. “Last year, those that used imported sun flower seeds, which are resistant to drought, had a better crop than those that used Moldovan seeds,” Vasile Marzenco said. He also said that the farmers do not use the possibility of insuring the crops offered by the Government because they are not adequately informed about this. The state covers 80% of the cost of the insurance premium for agricultural areas. At the same time, the insurance companies do not show much interest in establishing cooperation relations with the farmers, specialists say. Experts consider that it would be opportune to merge all the types of insurance into one.