In Moldova, 10 million lei will be invested in digital innovation projects in agriculture within the Future Technologies project funded by USAID and Sweden.
This was announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, noting that Moldovan farmers will receive financial assistance for digital transformation projects in agriculture to solve economic problems and increase climate resilience. A partnership agreement entitled “Promoting the Digital Transformation and Resilience of the Moldovan Agricultural Sector” was signed on March 22 under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry by the Agricultural Development and Modernization Agency (ADMA) and the Future Technologies Project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Sweden. Minister of Agriculture Viorel Gherciu noted that the agricultural sector, affected by the consequences of the war in Ukraine, will receive assistance from USAID and Sweden, which will stimulate agricultural innovation by introducing digital solutions that increase the productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of agricultural enterprises. “According to the latest ADMA survey, 65% of Moldovan farmers do not consider themselves well informed about new digital technologies, and more than 40% consider the lack of attractive financing programs, including grants, as the main obstacle to the introduction of digital technologies. At the same time, more than 73% of farmers want to participate in agricultural modernization programs such as automation, drones, weather stations, traceability and digital traceability and resource management solutions,” said Viorel Gherciu. According to him, to this end, the Future Technologies project and ADMA will develop a Roadmap for digital transformation in agriculture by April this year, which will contain strategic measures, an individual catalog of highly efficient agricultural technologies, as well as opportunities for introducing technologies in the agricultural sector through programs financing and assistance to farmers. The team of experts is led by Marco Brini, with over 20 years of experience in digital farming, co-founder of 3 companies recognized by Forbes and awarded for Stanford University's Best Startup, IBM Smarter Planet. Marco Brini works in tandem with a team of local experts in agriculture, technology solutions and investments. USAID Moldova Mission Chief Scott Hocklander stressed that the agricultural sector is the backbone of the Moldovan economy and it is essential, especially given the impact of the invasion of Ukraine, that the sector find new ways to remain productive, innovative and more competitive. “The integration of new technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices for smart agriculture, drones, smart farm management programs, mobile sensors for data collection, or IT solutions for climate change adaptation, can ensure that Moldovan farmers and producers can Resist crises by improving efficiency, productivity and longevity. USAID will allocate about 5 million lei for technological projects in the field of agriculture, and ADMA will stimulate the implementation of IT solutions in the agricultural sector,” said the Head of USAID Mission in Moldova. It was noted that ADMA, together with the "Technologies of the Future" project, will launch in June a financial assistance program "Future Technologies in Agriculture" with a total budget of 10 million lei, provided in equal shares by both partners. According to ADMA Executive Director Maxim Popov, this assistance program will provide funding in the form of low-interest loans, a grant component and specialized mentoring to motivate farmers to implement digital solutions. International experience shows that most innovative initiatives through digital technologies in agriculture are focused on sustainable practices (53.8%), waste management and food traceability (10.5%), development of digital solutions for climate resilience and disaster prevention (9%), the vast majority is also associated with digital skills training for workers in the agricultural sector. The Future Technologies in Moldova project, funded by USAID and Sweden, supports the development of a digital, creative and green economy in Moldova. The project with a budget of $32.8 million and an implementation period of 5 years (2021-2026) promotes innovation and new technologies in the following strategic sectors for Moldova - information and communication technologies, engineering, light industry, creative industries and digital media - to increase their competitiveness and integration into the world market. The Agency for the Development and Modernization of Agriculture is a self-governing public institution under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. //22.03.2022 — InfoMarket.
