Tomato prices will remain high even when tomatoes grown in Moldova appear at the markets as the farmers who cultivated them last year either started to grow other types of vegetables or halved the areas on which they cultivate tomatoes. Producers have told Info-Prim Neo that last year they sustained huge losses owing to the low prices and this year many of them gave up growing tomatoes. Ion Mereacre, director of the Bacioi-based vegetable growing company “Largul holdelor”, said the first home-grown tomatoes will appear in about a month. “The tomato prices will remain high throughout summer because the tomato fields this year are by 50% smaller than last year. Many farmers suffered losses and many vegetables remained in the field. I, for example, left several tonnes of tomatoes in the field because there was no use gathering them and selling them at a very low price,” said the farmer. He also said that last year the producers were unable to export tomatoes. “We could not export tomatoes because the Turkish ones were much cheaper. This year, we planted 80 ares with tomatoes in the open-area and reduced the areas in greenhouses to 1,000 square meters. Many farmers started to grow cucumbers and sweet peppers instead,” stated Ion Mereacre. Mihai Mazurchevici, the head of “Dimascom Nord” SRL located in Hasnasenii Mari, Drochia, said that last year he gathered 150 tonnes of tomatoes, while another about 70 tonnes remained in the field. He did not collect them because he would have spent more money on gathering them than he would have earned from selling them. He said that the authorities should ban the import of tomatoes for the period during which the national producers harvest and sell their crops. “Our people prefer to buy imported tomatoes that are big and nice-looking, even if they are full of nitrates. The people become sick, while the producers sustain losses. Our tomatoes are not as attractive as the imported ones, but are healthier. Many farmers gave up growing tomatoes. When our vegetables appear, the prices will decrease slightly, but will nevertheless remain high,” said Mihai Mazurchevici, who last year cultivated tomatoes on 2 hectares. Alexei Ivanov, who heads the company “Vindex Agro” situated in Malaiesti, Orhei, said that the tomatoes in Turkey now cost €2 euro, while in Moldova are sold for €3 owing to the transportation costs. “The areas of tomato fields have been reduced and the factories will not have raw material, but the people planted in greenhouses almost the same quantity as lat year,” he stated. Alexei Ivanov produced 100 tonnes of tomatoes last year in the field, but this year will grow only sweet peppers. Tomatoes imported from Turkey and Greece are now sold at the markets in Moldova. On the weekend, the prices varied between 38 lei and 55 lei per kilogram.