The Forestry Agency “Moldsilva” received equipment to the value of US$2.3 million purchased within the Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Project. The handover ceremony took place at the head office of the Baltata Mechanized Detachment of the Chisinau Forestry Company on March 24.
The Agency’s spokeswoman Viorica Caciuc has told IPN that the equipment includes 23 units bought from China, Ukraine, Russia and the EU. It will be used to outfit two mechanized detachments and three mobile brigades in Baltata, Tighina, Hancesti, Cahul, and Iargara of Leova district. The local forestry units will restore wood strips set up to protect farmland on an area of over 2,000 hectares.
Viorica Caciuc said the forest strips in southern Moldova are the most affected. Therefore the equipment was offered namely to forestry units in this part of the country.
The total cost of the project that is implemented between September 2012 and June 2017 is about US$27 million. It is financed with the IDA loan of US$18 million, with the grant of US$4.4 million provided by the Global Environment Facility and the grant of US$2.8 million offered by the Government of Sweden and with the Government’s contribution of US$2 million.
The wooded areas of Moldova now represent 11.6% of the country’s territory.
