In Moldova, over 54% of the population lives in rural areas. This makes the Ministry of Agriculture to make considerable effort to improve the living conditions in rural areas and the conditions for developing agribusinesses, Moldovan officials and EU representatives stated in a roundtable meeting, IPN reports.

Iva Stamenova, project manager on agriculture, rural development and food safety at the EU Delegation to Moldova, said the EU agricultural policy is very complex, while in Moldova the European Union contributes to creating opportunities to increase the living standards of the people in rural areas. The rural development policies are closely connected with the economic development, regional development and social policies.

For his part, deputy minister of agriculture Iurie Usurelu said that many of the rural areas remained without population owing to the recent exodus. The rural areas should become attractive to young families that would live in villages and would develop businesses there. The Ministry of Agriculture is making effort to achieve this objective, while Moldova should not invent the bicycle and should learn from good international practices.

The Ministry of Agriculture has ambitious plans. With ambition, Moldova’s villages will reach a new level. In the absence of a clear view at the central level, some of the implemented projects didn’t fully realize their potential. A new division was created at the Ministry to reduce discrepancies. This is called the Rural Development, Agricultural Statistics and Marketing Division, stated the deputy minister.

The Division’s head Marin Mortean said the Ministry has implemented the national agricultural and rural development strategy for 2014-2020 and the goal is to develop a competitive agricultural sector that would facilitate the enhancement of attractiveness of work in rural areas. The Ministry will create conditions for developing agricultural and nonagricultural businesses.

Snezhana Blagoeva, EU High-Level Adviser on Agriculture, said that by the pursued policies, the Ministry should do so that a larger part of the value of grown products remains with the agricultural producers. The problem of low incomes in agriculture is typical not only of Moldova. Everywhere in the world the governments make efforts to create conditions so that a larger part of the incomes remain with producers, not with intermediaries.

The roundtable meeting “Improvement of working conditions and living standards in the rural areas of Moldova. Rural development – approaches and perspectives” was staged with support from the EU Delegation to Moldova. The event was held within the exhibition “Moldagrotech 2017”.