Representatives of large Romanian retailers expressed readiness to support the fruit and vegetable producers of Moldova. Deputy head of the Romanian Association of Large Commercial Networks of Romania Delia Nica proposed that every hypermarket should have discussions with the Moldovan producers and establish advantageous partnerships between them. The statement was made in a meeting of Secretary of State Daniel Botanoiu and a group of representatives of the Associations of Fruit and Table Grape Producers and Exporters of Moldova, led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Vlad Loghin, in Bucharest, IPN reports.

According to a communiqué of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Romania, the meeting involved representatives of large Romanian retailers and processors and was held with the aim of establishing direct ties between the sides for selling Moldovan fruit and vegetables in Romania, following the ban imposed by Russia on the import of Moldovan products.

Daniel Botanoiu noted the support provided by the Prime Minister of Romania Victor Ponta and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture Daniel Constantin to the Moldovan agricultural producers to help them overcome the difficult economic situation. “We consider that Moldova is part of Europe and the cultivation of fruit and vegetables must be maintained there. Therefore, we will offer you all our support,” he stated.

A representative of the Associations of Fruit and Table Grape Producers and Exporters presented Moldova’s export potential, including of fresh apples and apples for processing, plums and table grapes.

It was agreed to monitor the implementation of the commitments undertaken by the two sides so that the negative effects of the bans imposed by Russia are combated by the effort of the Romanian economic entities. Measures are taken following the consultations between by the Government of Moldova and the Government of Romania and the discussions held by the Romanian Minister of Agriculture with the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development with a view to identifying solutions to ensure products’ access to the common market.

The European Commissioner announced the intention to double the import quotas on Moldovan apples, plums and table grapes and to hasten the procedures so that the relevant decision takes effect as soon as possible. Until these proposals are finalized, concerted effort is made at diplomatic level in the EU to identify the necessary storage areas. German Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt made significant efforts in this respect after the discussion he had with Daniel Constantin.