The Moldovan farmers are 97% supplied with crop seeds. Of the necessary amount of 35,000 tonnes, more than 34,000 tonnes are available in national storehouses. Of these, 32,500 tonnes have been already tested in lab conditions. Dumitru Rusu, head of the Seed Control Division of the National Food Safety Agency, told a news conference that the farmers are worst supplied with vegetable seeds, which they import, IPN reports.
Corn, pea and sunflower seeds are also imported. The specialist said the inspectors are now checking the local agricultural storehouses so as to prevent the sale of unfit seeds. The seeds are also examined and certified through lab tests.
In this connection, Dumitru Rusu called on the farmers to devote attention to the quality certificate and to ask for a sales slip when purchasing seeds. If large quantities are bought, a sale-purchase contract should be signed so that compensation can be sought if the seeds are not of an appropriate quality.
Mihail Negrescu, head of the Phytosanitary Products and Fertilizers Control Division, said the farmers should realize the danger of buying inappropriate seeds. The pesticides should not be purchased from the street, but from agricultural shops certified by the National Food Safety Agency. Being toxic substances, the pesticides should be bought from authorized places. The distinctive signs of the unfit products put up for sale include the label in other languages than Romanian or in Romanian and Russian simultaneously, repacking of products in such containers as water and oil PETs.
The buyer has the right to ask for a compliance or quality certificate from the producer. Mihai Negrescu said the fine for illegal repacking or smuggling of pesticides is of up to 9,000 lei for private individuals and of up to 15,000 lei for legal entities.
