In Moldova, April frosts have hit apricot, cherry and peach plantations the hardest; damage assessment will take 30 days – Cabinet
This was discussed during a meeting that Prime Minister Dorin Recean, together with Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Ludmila Catlabuga, held with farmers and industry associations to discuss the April frosts, their impact on flowering fruit trees and vineyards, as well as government measures to support the agricultural sector. Dorin Recean noted that the Ministry of Agriculture immediately activated the damage assessment mechanism and is collecting reports to determine the losses. The head of the Cabinet noted that, unfortunately, we have a number of problems in the agricultural sector - frosts in April, dry and hot summer, African swine fever, growing instability of weather conditions, more and more extreme atmospheric phenomena. As Dorin Recean emphasized, the government continues to support local production with high added value and subsidize the agricultural sector. In particular, agricultural insurance policies are subsidized - up to 70% of the insurance cost is covered by the state budget. In 2024, 502 insurance applications were submitted, and the state allocated over 61 million lei from the state budget to cover these expenses. The Prime Minister recalled that 6 billion lei have been allocated to support farmers in recent years - the largest financial assistance ever allocated, which has brought specific results. The irrigation area was expanded by more than 1,000 hectares. Wine exports increased by about 20%, cattle - by 10%, milk production - by 17%, access to the EU market was obtained for category A poultry meat and eggs produced in Moldova. Moldovan wines have won over 7,500 international medals, which brought the country to 1st place in Eastern Europe in terms of the number of awards over the past 10 years. With the financial support of the government, farmers have expanded the equipment of 961 hectares of protected perennial crops with rain and hail protection equipment. Also, with the support of the government, 402 farms have been repaired and modernized over the past 3 years. In the first months of 2025, the government has already allocated over 1 billion lei to farmers out of the total amount of 1.7 billion lei envisaged for this year. At the expense of the +Plus budget, the AIPA fund was replenished by 200 million lei, and VAT will be gradually reimbursed. Dorin Recean noted that the authorities offer favorable credit instruments. Small and medium farmers have access to loans with a preferential rate of 5.1%, a grant component of up to 30% of the cost of financing, flexible repayment periods of up to 5 years and the possibility of access to financial guarantees. The Prime Minister informed farmers that the Economic Growth Plan, financed by the European Union, envisages the allocation of 300 million euros for investments in agriculture, which confirms the priority that the state gives to the agricultural sector, farms and farmers throughout the country. On the eve of Easter, the head of government called on citizens to support local products and choose fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meat grown by Moldovan farmers. // 17.04.2025 — InfoMarket.
