Deadline for applications for agricultural subsidies close

The period during which farmers can file applications for being subsidized expires this week. More than 3,000 applicants already received subsidies. The 1,350 applications submitted until now will be examined together with those that will be lodged this week, Info-Prim Neo reports. In a news conference, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov said that for being subsidized the farmers must appeal to the local mayor’s office. “We know that the farmers badly need financial support and we will thus try to distribute subsidies as soon as possible, starting with November 1,” said the minister. Besides subsidies, the farmers who were affected by this year’s drought will receive by about 200 lei per hectare of sown wheat in assistance. “Not all the country’s districts sustained losses because of the weather conditions. The farmers from the less affected districts may receive by 150 lei per hectare, while those from the hardly-hit districts by up to 300 lei/ha,” said the minister. 95% of the winter wheat has been sown. The wheat fields will occupy 300,000 hectares. “We will have the necessary amount of wheat to ensure the country’s food security. Certain amounts may be exported. If the conditions are normal, there will be preconditions for a good harvest next year. The winter wheat fields are being assessed. We hope that the financial support we promised will be distributed in November,” said Vasile Bumacov. He also said that some of the farmers now refuse the state aid and this is a new beneficial phenomenon. “The farmers in Briceni and Riscani said that they were affected by the drought, but they renounce the state assistance because there are agricultural producers who were hit more seriously,” stated the minister. This summer’s drought caused losses to agriculture estimated at about 2.5 billion lei. Southern Moldova was the worst hit.