PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
on a project implementation in 2024 to support Moldova’s crop sector: “Biotechnological innovations for the development of agricultural sector in Moldova” by the East Foundation (Republic of Poland) and ACSA (Republic of Moldova).
Moldova’s most significant natural resource is its fertile land, chernozem, which covers 73% of its agricultural land area. This is the major reason for Moldova’s dependence on the agricultural sector, the highest in Europe. However, unsustainable agricultural practices have led to rapid soil degradation, resulting in an estimated annual loss of humus (soil organic matter) of 5-7 tons per hectare, causing the economy loss of US$239 million each year. Nearly 2 million hectares have been affected by soil degradation over the past two decades. The war in Ukraine has caused a refugee crisis and increased gas prices, which have strongly affected the prices of agricultural inputs, including mineral fertilizers. This has led to high inflation and rising food prices.
The rapid development of biotechnology and rising prices of mineral fertilizers have changed the agricultural market landscape. Today, it is possible to produce biological fertilizers more cheaply than mineral fertilizers. Producing organic fertilizers from agricultural waste and employing innovative cultivation techniques (such as no-till and low-till practices) present an opportunity to increase the economic efficiency of crop production, improve farmland, and enhance the quality of agricultural products. This is vital for Moldova’s economic development, which is heavily reliant on agriculture. Similar strategies are also recommended in the EU Green Deal Policy.
The implemented project focused on transferring technology for local production of organic fertilizer concentrates using maximum local raw materials (mainly biological waste) and promoting innovative cultivation methods. This approach is expected to increase crop productivity and profitability (benefiting farmers), protect the natural environment (benefiting society), and ensure accessible and healthier agricultural products (benefiting consumers). The project assessed and tested locally available biological waste for use as raw materials, supported the construction of a pilot production line, adapted appropriate production technologies, and completed laboratory analyses of the produced organic fertilizers to achieve CE marking for EU export. Initial information and promotion workshops have already been held in Comrat (UTAG), Hincesti, and Ratus (Criuleni rayon). Currently, locally produced fertilizers are being tested by farmers on more than 1,000 hectares across various regions in Moldova.
Interested parties (farmers, wholesalers, retailers, and other distributors), for details, may contact ACSA, or directly the producer, SRL Biobalance, at phone number: +37379399052, email: [email protected].
The project “Biotechnological innovations for development of agricultural sector in Moldova” is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Poland. The content of this material does not necessarily represent the official views of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Poland, or of the United Nations, including UNDP, or UN Member States.