Even if Moldova’s exports of fruit and vegetables have grown significantly this year, the farmers are in a crisis as the potential is much greater than the exported quantities, the horticultural crops being very rich. In this connection, the identification of new markets is essential, the director of the National Food Safety Agency Gheorghe Gaberi was quoted by IPN as saying.
According to the official, the export markets for Moldovan goods are the traditional ones, but two target markets become narrower –of Russia and of Belarus. Both of the countries during the past ten years invested in substituting imports by planting many orchards, mainly of apples and plums. The harvests are larger in Moldova and, even if the products are exported, the market price of the product decreases. “We must find an alternative market for the surplus volume. We realize that the imports to these countries will diminish in time. It’s easier to identify a market where the given product cannot be found,” stated Gheorghe Gaberi.
He noted that the negotiations with Canada on the sale of fresh plums were ended. The fruit growers can export plums to this country as of October 1 this year. The negotiations with India, which has a great apple consumption potential, were also closed and the first ten tonnes of products to this country will be delivered in the nearest future. Export agreements were also reached with Israel, Bangladesh, Mongolia and negotiations are now being held with such countries as Indonesia and Malaysia.
As to the domestic market, Gheorghe Gaberi said the producers cannot bank on this as they can sell only raw material for processing on this. The rest of the products are exported. Some of the commercial chains say the producers cannot supply them with the large volumes they need, but such assertions are not always argued. The commercial chains should have long-term contracts with producers as no one can produce goods and wait until someone comes to buy these. The local market has a small absorption capacity, especially for apples and plums, because most of the people have this fruit in the own gardens.
Gheorghe Gaberi noted the National Food Safety Agency assists the producers in selling their goods since the plantation is created. The Agency helps them to correctly look after it, to protect it and certifies the goods sold on the domestic and foreign markets. When disputes appear in the country of destination, the Agency helps the producers settle them if they are not to blame.
According to the National Food Safety Agency, 70,600 tonnes of apples of this year’s harvest have been exported so far this year. This is thrice more compared with the corresponding period last year. The exports of fresh plums came to 31,000 tonnes, by 1 tonne more than in 2017. The same quantity was stored and is to be sold in the nearest future. For the first time, there were exported 2,129 tonnes of fresh cherries, 5,736 tonnes of fresh peaches, 1,906 tonnes of fresh apricots. It is expected that grape exports will also increase significantly.
