Government liberalizes meat imports

The Government canceled the import quota on meat. The decision was made after analyzing the prices of meat products in the past several weeks and the factors that determined the rises, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Trade Igor Dodon, the import quota of 110 tonnes per transaction fixed in 2006 was aimed at protecting the home market and at stimulating the national producers that essentially increased meat production in 2007. “Given that the national producers were forced to cull the animals following the severe drought, and the volumes of meat supplied on the market decreased considerably, the cancellation of the import quotas is practically the only solution that would allow to stop the rise in the prices of meat products,” Igor Dodo said at the last meeting of the Government. “This is a temporary measure. We want to believe that it would not seriously affect the national producers,” the minister said. The Government Decision contains stipulations about the simplification of the meat imports and says that the commission that issues import authorizations would be transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry to the Ministry of Economy and Trade. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the prices of beef in 2007 rose by 40%, of pork – by 26%, of mutton and goat – by 40%.