Export of Moldovan wine for 7 months of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, decreased in value terms by 20.1% to $75.3 million.
At the same time, in physical terms, it decreased by 25.6% to 52.9 million liters. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, this was discussed during the regular conference on the wine industry held in Chisinau on the topic “Grape harvest 2022: features and assessment”, held by the National Bureau of Vine and Wine. As noted, despite the drought at the national level, the expected grape harvest in Moldova in 2022 is expected to be at the level of 2021. The forecast grape harvest is 6-10 tons per hectare. Herewith, it is planned to send 250 thousand tons of grapes for processing. Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea noted that today every fourth inhabitant of the countryside is engaged in viticulture and winemaking, and this is an impressive figure. Acting director of the National Bureau of Vine and Wine, Elizaveta Breahna, drew attention to the fact that in Moldova, as well as throughout the world, climate change is taking place, which indirectly has a great impact on vineyards, favoring spring and autumn frosts, the emergence of new diseases and pests. Rainfall is decreasing (less than 400 mm per year), which negatively affects grapes, wine production and the industry as a whole. Meanwhile, according to her, even under the current conditions, the grapes harvested in Moldova correspond to the quality, and the expected harvest in 2022 is expected to be at the level of 2021. The director of the National Bureau of Vine and Wine noted that Moldovans prefer still locally produced wines, and these data motivate them to make more efforts to develop the sector, improve the quality of wine to increase domestic consumption. Deputy Director of the USAID Mission to Moldova John Riordan noted that these are very difficult times for Moldova and the region as a whole. Economic headwinds and drought are affecting Moldovan farmers, and the economic impact on the wine industry is now similar to the Russian embargo in 2006 and 2013. “We know it has been difficult, which is why USAID is once again proud to continue supporting the Moldovan wine industry. As a partner of the Moldovan wine sector, USAID is proud to support winemakers for sustainable development and structural reform of the wine industry,” he said. For her part, Magdalena Muller-Uri, Head of the Cooperation Department of the EU Delegation to Moldova, stressed that Moldova has achieved many good results - more than 60% of Moldovan exports went to the EU in the first quarter of this year. In recent years, alcoholic beverages have been included in the top 5 export products, growing both in volume and in value terms. According to her, Moldovan wines are gaining more and more international recognition due to their outstanding quality, as evidenced by the various medals they have won recently. “In recent months, the EU has mobilized more than 200 million euros in emergency and microfinance assistance to Moldova to reduce the impact of the crisis. In addition, tariff quotas have been increased and transport routes have been strengthened to facilitate access to EU markets. The European Union continues to provide significant support to improve the competitiveness of the sector, entrepreneurship, access to finance and services to develop the business environment,” she said.// 29.08.2022 — InfoMarket.
