The smallholders in Moldova will receive corn, sunflower and soybean seeds, while the authorized small family farms and vulnerable households from rural areas will get assistance in the form of concentrated fodder for animals as part of an emergency assistance project implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. The project comes with an initial investment of US$500,000, IPN reports.
“The national agricultural sector now faces multiple challenges generated by the war in Ukraine, by the increase in the prices of energy, fertilizers and by the unfavorable weather conditions, with over 70% of the farmers being vulnerable to these shocks. Even if the Government mobilized internal and foreign support, it does not have the capacity to support all the farmers to obtain more advantageous purchase prices of fertilizers, seeds and fuel that are needed for the spring sowing campaign,” said Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Viorel Gherciu, being quoted in a press release of FAO Moldova.
“FAO attentively monitors the situation and we stand by the Government of the Republic of Moldova so as to help diminish the difficulties experienced currently by the population from rural areas. We aim to increase the agrifood sector’s resilience to threats and crises so as to anticipate the potential risks to food security at the national level,” said FAO Representative in Moldova Raimund Jehle.
In partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, FAO is implementing in the Republic of Moldova another ten technical assistance projects to the value of US$3.5 million for building a sustainable agricultural sector resistant to external challenges, including those caused by climate change.
