Government provides aid to farmers to alleviate effects of drought

The Government will allocate 162 million lei to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry to help farmers overcome the effects of this year's drought, Info-Prim Neo reports. Of this money, 60 million lei will go to subsidize the sowing of winter varieties of wheat. Another 90 million lei will be used to subsidize the sowing of corn and 12 million to buy feed for livestock in the areas which were the worst stricken by the drought. The subsidization regulation approved by the Government stipulates that the money will be paid after the sowing takes place, in the amount of 200 lei for each hectare. According to the regulation, the Agency for Payments and Interventions in Agriculture will organize tenders for the purchase of feed. Prime Minister Vlad Filat said that 50 of the 162 million lei was contributed by the European Union. There is also an agreement with the World Bank which will offer $10 million to help Moldovan farmers overcome their difficulties.