Tender contest on purchase of food grain for State Reserve to take place on September 7

The Agency of Material Reserves, Public Acquisitions and Humanitarian Aids announced that the third tender on acquiring food wheat for State Reserve will take place on September 7, 2007. It was planned to purchase about 20 thousand tonnes of food wheat. This time both Moldovan producers and importers are invited to place their offers. During the previous tenders the state did not manage to purchase the necessary volume of wheat. At the first tender, the offer of the producers amounted to 3.40 thousand tonnes, and at the second only 420 tonnes. Vasile Tarlev said previously that Moldova will purchase wheat from abroad for the State Reserve because the Moldovan farmers have stored their wheat and do not want to sell it, although the Government has offered a fair price, according to the PM. The farmers say that the harvest is poor and they do not want to sell their wheat. The State plans to purchase 50-55 thousand tonnes of wheat for the State Reserve. Wheat is purchased for 3-3.2 lei/kg, depending on gluten content. To ensure the food security of the country 350 thousand tonnes of food grain are needed this year. The authorities announce that 190 thousand tonnes were already purchased. The rest will be supplied from imports. The Government has recently approved the Regulation on imports and sales of grain and cereal products, which provides exempting these imports from customs duties and VAT until August 1, 2008. The document applies to imports of wheat, rye, wheat and rye flour, and of fodder. In addition, no taxes will be levied on grain brought to Moldova as humanitarian aid. Because of the drought, Moldova lost half of its harvest of wheat. The global harvest constituted 627.5 thousand tonnes, by over 46% more against the planned level.