An economic policy expert at IDIS Viitorul expressed this view, noting that creating a modern irrigation system in Moldova would require approximately 3 billion euros in investment (about 15% of GDP). According to his estimates, about one-third of the investment should come from the government, and two-thirds from the private sector. As the economist noted, in 2026, Moldova's agricultural output could reach 51.6 billion lei, compared to 46.7 billion lei in 2025, and exceed the previous record set in 2021 — 48.4 billion lei. At the same time, the growth over the past two years has been driven almost entirely by organized agriculture. Specifically, production by agricultural enterprises in 2026 is estimated at 31.5 billion lei, compared to 27 billion lei the previous year and 29.4 billion lei in 2021. At the same time, the output of subsistence farms is projected to reach 20.1 billion lei, compared to 19.7 billion lei in 2025 and 19 billion lei in 2021. "We are transitioning from subsistence farming to organized agriculture," noted Veaceslav Ioniță. According to his estimates, total agricultural output this year could approach 95% of the 1991 level. By comparison, in the most successful year—2021—it reached 99.1% of the level recorded in the year independence was declared. The expert believes that the gradual transition to organized agricultural enterprises, against the backdrop of climate change and growing demand for water supply, creates the economic conditions for larger-scale investments in irrigation. However, the actual scale of irrigation in Moldova remains extremely small. The area of land equipped for irrigation was about 290,000 hectares in 1990, 302,000 hectares in 2000, 228,300 hectares in 2010, 222,200 hectares in 2020, and 217,500 hectares in 2025. However, according to an economist's estimate, only 30,000–40,000 hectares are actually irrigated today—approximately 1.6% of the country's agricultural land and about one-tenth of the area that was irrigated during the peak period. The decline in irrigation is even more pronounced in terms of water usage. While approximately 898 million cubic meters of water were used for these purposes in Moldova in 1990, by 2000 – 50 million cubic meters; in 2010 – 43 million cubic meters; in 2020 – 50 million cubic meters, and in 2025 – just 21 million cubic meters. Thus, over 35 years, water use for irrigation has decreased by approximately 40 times. Per hectare of farmland, Moldova uses about 28 cubic meters of water for irrigation, compared to 276 cubic meters in Romania and 90 cubic meters in Ukraine. According to the expert, the problem lies not only in the availability of water resources but also in the country's ability to use them for agricultural needs. According to the expert's calculations, the volume of renewable water resources in Moldova is about 6.3 cubic meters per hectare, compared to 5.1 cubic meters in Ukraine and 23.5 cubic meters in Romania. At the same time, Moldova uses only about 0.4% of its renewable water resources, Ukraine 1.7%, and Romania 1.1%. In European countries where irrigation plays an important role in agriculture, this figure is significantly higher: 17% in Spain, 11.9% in Greece, 8.9% in Italy, and 3.1% in Bulgaria. At the same time, about 87% of Moldova's renewable water resources come from outside the country, primarily via transboundary rivers. According to expert estimates, in 2026 the government could allocate nearly 85 million lei (about 0.023% of GDP) to the development of irrigation systems. If this forecast proves accurate, it will mark the largest annual allocation of state funding for this sector. Between 2010 and 2025, government subsidies for the development of irrigation systems totaled about 530 million lei, while total investment in the sector is estimated at approximately 1.7 billion lei. Thus, for every 1 leu invested by the government, the private sector invested approximately 2 lei. Veaceslav Ioniță also reported that in October 2026, Moldova may receive significant external financing for the development of its irrigation system, which could potentially be the largest amount of funding the country has ever secured for this sector. At the same time, existing and planned investments remain significantly below the required level. Over the past 12 years, investments from the government, the private sector, and grant funds for irrigation development have totaled about 1.8% of GDP, while the total need is approximately 15% of GDP. To date, projects worth approximately 65 million euros have been implemented, while projects worth an additional 210 million euros (about 1.1% of GDP) are currently being implemented. Over the next 5 years, government investment could amount to 0.1–0.2% of GDP annually, while private investment could reach 0.2–0.4% of GDP. Under this scenario, total investment over the 12-year period under review and the subsequent 5 years will reach approximately 4% of GDP, which is nearly three times less than the estimated need.// 11.09.2026 — InfoMarket.