Switzerland will allocate 5.99 million francs (about 122 million lei) for the introduction of technologies and innovations in agriculture in Moldova.
This is provided for by the Agreement on the implementation of the second phase of the project “Opportunities through Technology and Innovation in Moldova” (OPTIM), which was signed in Chisinau by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). For the implementation of the project, the Swiss government will allocate 5 million 995.2 thousand Swiss francs (equivalent to approximately 122 million lei) from the budget to contribute to the creation of new and inclusive economic opportunities in our country. As stated by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea, the OPTIM project will lead to significant changes in the country’s agricultural sector. It is vital that farmers have access to knowledge, resources and technology to manage the risks posed by climate change, he said. “We would like the OPTIM project to become part of the process of organizing chambers of agriculture. In addition, another important aspect is the creation of programs dedicated to women contributing to agricultural value chains. The ministry's policy is aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and minimizing losses. We want all our farmers to prosper and we are glad that the OPTIM project will be part of this initiative,” he said. The main provisions of the project include: development of socially inclusive economic opportunities; increasing the competitiveness of the private sector in our country through investment in innovative business, services, technology and educational solutions; facilitating access to high-value markets and skilled labor; Supporting the private sector to explore mechanisms to incentivize the provision of appropriate services to access more attractive and higher-value markets by investing in innovative businesses, services, technologies and educational solutions, and by improving collaboration between the public and private sectors. As Guido Beltrani, director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova, noted, the introduction of new technologies that open up new opportunities for the people of Moldova has been one of the key priorities of the OPTIM project since its launch in 2019. The Swiss-supported project promoted innovations that allowed farmers to use drones for fertilizer application and better use of soil testing techniques and advanced weather monitoring techniques to optimize the use of agricultural inputs, and promoted collaboration across value chains. “Innovation in agriculture is very necessary. They help increase productivity, reduce costs and improve the quality of the final product. Thanks to innovations, including those supported by OPTIM, Moldovan farmers will be able to grow more high-quality products, increase their incomes and export to markets with high added value,” added Guido Beltrani. According to him, the project will help improve the supply of jobs, as well as study and implement mechanisms that stimulate the provision of basic services for the private sector. The project also helps to develop policies to improve the business environment in the agri-food sector.// 13.02.2024 — InfoMarket
