An Austrian company donated 30 sets of modern irrigation and weather stations to agricultural education instructions of Moldova. “We are an agrarian country and this equipment is very necessary for our agriculture,” acting Minister of Agriculture Vasile Bumacov said during the presentation of the stations, IPN reports.

According to the official, the donated equipment can protect up to 20 kinds of crops from pests and diseases. It will be used by education institutions so that the future agriculture specialists are able to learn to use it. This way, the necessity of treating the crops with toxic substances will gradually disappear.

More than 35 Moldovan farmers started to use such equipment this year. The stations are outfitted with sensors that measure the temperature of air, the amount of precipitation, the wetness on the leave, etc. Based on these data, the equipment can anticipate the risks of the plants becoming infected. Thus, the farmers will be able to use preventive treatment.

The farmers will also enjoy benefits from the cooperation between the Austrian company and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. The company will sell them weather stations at lower prices. A station with several components costs €2,000 to €3,500.

The project is financed by the Austrian Development Agency in cooperation with Pessl Instruments