The year 2020 was a challenging one for everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic closed the borders and limited entrepreneurial activity. The most serious hydrological drought was witnessed in 2020 and this also affected the wine industry. In 2020, the volume of processed grapes was by 40% lower, primarily in the case of grapes for distilled wines. The grape harvest was by 40% lower, being the lowest one in the last decades, with the harvest of 2010 being lower only, Cristina Frolov, director of the National Office of Vine and Wine, stated in the national conference “Winemaking and Winegrowing Year 2020. Sector Development Priorities”, IPN reports.
According to Cristinai Frolov, over 40 million lei in 2020 was invested by the private sector in the development of the industry. 16% of the investments were covered with subsidization funds. The area of vineyards decreased by 36% the last few years. This means all the sector’s efforts should be aimed at rehabilitating vineyards. In 2020, for the first time in the last few years, there were planted by 150 ha of vineyards more.
Minister of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Ion Perju said the wine industry is a strategic branch of the national economy. During the last few years, the wine industry accounted for 8% of the country’s export revenues. About 150,000 people work in this sector. The Moldovan wine accounts for 2% of the global wine exports. The Republic of Moldova remains the country with the largest areas of vineyards worldwide. The sector annually benefits from about 140 million lei subsidies for planting new vineyards and for processing grape.
According to the minister, owing to the pandemic and the severe drought of lays year, the winemaking and winegrowing year 2020 saw a 28% decline in global production and a reduction of about 12% in the export of wine. Among the important actions that should be taken in the sector are the conquering of new markets, increasing of export of bottled wine, planting of national sorts of vine, etc.
Ilona Gruenewald, projects manager at the EU Delegation to Moldova, said the sector is important for the country’s economy. There is a commitment at the EU level to make the economy greener and the EU’s contribution in this regard is relevant to the support offered to Moldova in the wine industry. The contribution was aimed at adjusting the legislation in this sector and at fully realizing the potential.
USAID Moldova Mission Director Scott Hocklander said USAID has supported the development of winegrowers and the market in Moldova during over 15 years. Even if 2020 was a difficult year, Moldova managed to increase its value on international markets. The exports of bottled wine continued to grow in 2020 and USAID has been near on this path.
The national conference “Winemaking and Winegrowing Year 2020. Sector Development Priorities” is held online.
