Over 400 tonnes of winter wheat seeds will reach 175 farmers in the most affected districts of the country this week. The seeds, provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), are intended for farmers in such districts as Ștefan Vodă, Comrat, Ceadîr-Lunga, Vulcănești, Cantemir, Cahul, Taraclia, Florești, Nisporeni, and Telenești, IPN reports.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to support Moldovan agriculture, affected by climate change and economic difficulties, said secretary of state of the Ministry of Agriculture Vasile Șarban.

The farmers will receive between 30 and 90 kilograms of seeds per hectare, depending on the losses suffered. Each beneficiary is entitled to a maximum amount of 8 tonnes of seeds.

The action is part of a project funded by the Austrian Development Agency and the Government of Switzerland. "Emergency support for agri-producers in the context of socio-economic and energy crisis” aims to provide farmers with high-quality wheat seeds, resistant to drought, diseases and extreme conditions, to help them recover after suffering due to drought.

The request was made by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and was supported by the Governments of Japan, Austria and Switzerland. From 2022 until now, farmers have been distributed batches of corn seeds, alfalfa, vegetables, potato tubers, fertilizers and animal feed. The program will continue until the end of this year, with a total number of 17,000 beneficiaries in Moldova - farmers and households.