Moldova officially launched a new USAID Rural Economic Development Project with a budget of $50 million.
In particular, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita, U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Kent Logsdon, Director of Mission USAID in Moldova Scott Hocklander, members of the government, as well as entrepreneurs and exporters of agricultural products, winemakers, representatives of the tourism sector. According to the press service of the government, the completed USAID High Efficiency Agriculture in Moldova project was implemented for 6 years, its budget was $25.86 million and it was aimed at promoting a modern agricultural sector and supporting value chains for table grapes, wines, vegetables, honey, berries, apples and stone fruits. As a result, the project resulted in 229 grants worth $6.35 million, sales assistance worth $195 million, and more than 10,000 farmers trained and assisted in the use of new production technologies. Much of the USAID High Efficiency Agriculture in Moldova project also proved relevant to helping farmers deal with the challenges posed by the war in Ukraine, especially finding new markets for agricultural products. At the same time, a new 5-year Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Project launched by USAID aims to stimulate the sustainable and comprehensive recovery of the country affected by the regional crisis, as well as to accelerate the economic development of rural communities in Moldova. With a budget of $49.7 million and a grant fund of $13 million, the project will support value-added agriculture, which includes horticulture, beekeeping and organic farming, the wine industry and the tourism sector. Thus, USAID will help increase the competitiveness of these sectors, create new jobs and reduce the outflow of labor from Moldova by encouraging the participation of the diaspora in the fields of agriculture and tourism. “Today, together with our faithful development partner, we are launching a new project aimed at increasing the competitiveness and sustainability of rural areas of Moldova. Thanks to such projects, we contribute to increasing the profitability of each hectare of agricultural land, improving the quality of the grown products, increasing sales in the local and international markets and, last but not least, we encourage sustainable partnerships in the agricultural sector,” said Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita in her speech. The Head of the Cabinet of Ministers stressed that agriculture is in the first place in the top preferences and concerns of the government, and the authorities support people who invest in this area and support them in every possible way in developing their potential. “Despite the many crises we have faced this year, we have been able to provide concrete support that farmers are already feeling. Agrarians of our country can export to the EU without paying customs duties twice as much agricultural products as compared to previous years,” said Natalia Gavrilita. Also, according to the Prime Minister, micro, small and medium-sized agricultural producers are already receiving compensation of excise taxes on diesel fuel used since the beginning of this year, in the amount of up to 100%, and large ones - compensation in the amount of 30%. Thus, more than 300 million lei was allocated to fully compensate excise taxes on diesel fuel used by agricultural producers in 2022. At the same time, this year the Agency for Interventions and Payments in Agriculture is supporting 42 start-up entrepreneurs in launching start-up projects with investment planning in agricultural sector. Also this year, the government allocated 1.75 billion lei for the National Fund for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas, which is more than 60% more than last year.// 07.10.2022 — InfoMarket
