Moldova may temporarily restrict imports of grains and oilseeds from Ukraine.
At a meeting on Friday with Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Moldova, Vladimir Bolea, Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, said the ministry intends to temporarily apply measures similar to those applied by some EU states to imports of grain and oilseeds from Ukraine. Vladimir Bolea also mentioned other instruments that are being defined to support the agricultural sector this year. "We are preparing a set of measures in order to maintain the competitive position of the agricultural sector. From constant discussions with farmers, we have determined that the biggest problem they face is the cost of production. We want to reduce the cost of production. In this regard, we will reimburse the excise tax on used diesel fuel from the National Fund for Agricultural and Rural Development. We also intend to subsidize the cost of plant protection products and fertilizers," the minister said, noting that the identification of additional sources for the development of the agricultural sector remains a fundamental current task. During the meeting, the sides discussed common objectives, priorities and visions regarding agricultural entrepreneurship in Moldova, as well as its strengthening. Another subject approached was EU assistance for legislative harmonization in this field, preparation of a new Twinning project, prospects for implementation of the ENPARD program, TAIEX projects, etc. It is worth noting that the European Commission banned supplies of wheat, corn, canola and sunflower from Ukraine to five Eastern European countries - Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia from May 2 to June 5. These products can be transported in transit through these countries, and Ukrainian products can be delivered to other EU countries without hindrance. In April, these five countries decided to unilaterally ban imports of agricultural products from Ukraine due to overstocking their markets with Ukrainian agricultural products, which put local farmers on the verge of bankruptcy. It is worth mentioning that Moldovan farmers are also in favor of restricting the supplies of Ukrainian products to the local market. "If Moldova does not prohibit the import of grains and oils from Ukraine, a complete disaster in the agricultural sector is inevitable. Very soon our elevators will be filled with products from Ukraine. Prices will fall to a catastrophically low level for many farmers, who since 2022 are already experiencing many crises. The process of destruction for the vast majority of small and medium-sized farmers will become irreversible. But another problem will arise. It is very likely that there will be many attempts to export Ukrainian production from Moldova. It is enough to identify one case of falsified origin documents, and our country will immediately fall under a special regime for monitoring imports to the EU," said Alexandru Slusari, executive director of the Forta Fermierilor (Farmers' Power) Association. // 05.05.2023 – InfoMarket
