FAO allocates $ 265 thousand to support small farmers in Moldova affected by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the drought of 2020.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Moldova (FAO), the funds necessary for the implementation of the project will be allocated within the framework of the technical cooperation program. The project will be implemented jointly with the government of Moldova in 2021-2023. The corresponding agreement was signed by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Viorel Gherciu and the FAO representative in Chisinau Raimund Jehle. Under the project, farmers will be able to gain easier access to the local market through a detailed study of market opportunities and the quality requirements of processors and suppliers. It is noted that small farmers make up the majority of the rural population and provide more than 62% of the country's agricultural production. In doing so, they face a number of challenges, such as limited access to productive resources, reduced ability to cope with market and meteorological risks, and limited financial resources. Farmers usually choose short-term coping strategies. In this context, the new project will help strengthen the capacity of national authorities to analyze and formulate policies that respond to the needs of smallholder farmers, especially in the livestock sector, thereby increasing their opportunities and income levels. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, almost 97% of sheep and 86% of cattle are owned by smallholders. The project will create a nationwide platform that will act as a communication channel between government, experts and small ruminant farmers. A National Action Plan for Family Farming will also be developed, which will include a set of measures to strengthen them. // 10.09.2021 — InfoMarket.
