Farmers started spring agricultural works. They are glad there is precipitation and hope that they will not experience drought this year. Even if they have seeds, the agricultural producers complain about the high input prices, the heads of district agricultural divisions told in a discussion with Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Bolea, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, IPN reports.
Pavel Curus, head of the Căușeni Agriculture Section, said the sowing of technical crops was projected to begin on April 5-8, when air temperatures will vary around 15 degrees Celsius and soil temperature will be about 8 degrees Celsius. Steps are being taken to prepare the sowing of sunflower and corn. There are inputs, but the business entities complain these are too expensive.
Viorel Scutaru, who heads the Ungheni Agriculture and Food Division, noted that before the recent rain, the soil moisture deficit was 60%, but things now changed and they hope the agricultural year will be productive and without natural disasters.
Ion Sîrbu, of the Hâncești Agriculture and Food Division, said the level of moisture is now 70-90% and they are hopeful that a hydrological drought will be avoided this year. The small farmers are late with the spring works as they need to rent agricultural machinery from larger producers to perform their own works.
The head of the Dubăsari Agriculture Section Sergei Guvir noted that access to the farmland located beyond the Tiraspol-Camenca road in Dubăsari district is permitted only by April 1 and this is a problem.
The representatives from a number of districts said they received requests to have old orchards and vineyards removed as these no longer yield revenues. Minister Vladimir Bolea said the plantations that generate losses should be cleared and planted with new sorts of crops. The Ministry of Agriculture has subsidization programs for felling and for new plantations, but the clearing process needs to be efficient so as to avoid their risk of a shortage of fruit for processing. The official urged to coordinate the plans with agricultural specialists and to plant orchards whose fruit will be used for processing only as there are special types of fruit for the purpose.
