The spring frosts, of the second half of April and the first half of May, could affect a large part of the crops as the plants started to grow. These frosts, even if they are not so severe, could yet significantly affect the crops compared with the impact of the frosts of down to -20 degrees Celsius of the end of this February, Vasile Șarban, division head at the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, stated for IPN.

Therefore, the functionary recommends the agricultural producers to consider the possibility of insuring the crops and fruit trees against late spring frosts, given the serious damage caused by such frosts the last few years. Moreover, the amendments made to the legislation in 2020 enable the agricultural producers to benefit from subsidies of 70% of the insurance paid to the insurance company. Until 2021, this subsidy represented 50%. This way, the business entities will pay only 30% of the insurance. The producers who insured their crops in 2020 only gained. In 2021, both the quantity and the quality of agricultural products will be insured.

Vasile Șarban said the frosts of the end of April 2016 affected crops on an area of over 7,000 hectares in six districts in northern Moldova. 60-80 tonnes of agricultural products can be collected from a hectare. Given the pandemic and economic situation in the country, compensations for particular risks in agriculture will most probably not be paid by the state this year.

He noted that even if the risk of spring drought was overcome in Moldova to a particular extent, as there is enough moisture in soil, there could be hail in the second half of May and the crops and trees can be again affected.

“If this year we have the same productivity as in 2019, we can harvest over 1 million tonnes of wheat and over 260,000 tonnes of barely. As to the rest of the crops, we must see the business entities’ capacity to sow the farmland,” said the division head at the Ministry of Agriculture.

As regards the 6,000 tonnes of diesel fuel provided by Romania in aid, Vasile Șarban said the Ministry worked out regulations for determining the quantity of diesel fuel for each eligible beneficiary. New regulations will be designed to specify the method of distributing the diesel fuel so that the spring works could be performed on time.