The state-run wine company “Cricova” is using for the first time a combine to pick grapes. In the event held to present the combine, the company’s director Valentin Bodiul told the journalists that the machine enables to halve the harvest costs, IPN reports.
Valentin Bodiul said the combine gathers 90 tonnes of grapes daily. This quantity can be collected by 150 people. The combine is used to harvest only grapes for wine of a medium quality. The grapes for wine of a high quality continue to be picked manually. But the company faces a shortage of labor force as the people do not want to work all day long for 150 lei.
The combine used by “Cricova” was rented from a Moldovan private company. It costs about €400,000 and can be used throughout the year as it can also trim and spray the vine.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov earlier said that Moldova in the Soviet period was the most mechanized country and had combines for picking tomatoes, raspberry and grapes. The combine used by “Cricova” collects only the grape fruits and the vine is not affected.
The combine also helps shorten the harvest period by over half a month. This year there will be collected about 500,000 tonnes of technical grapes and 100,000 tonnes of table grapes.
