Recent inclement weather, including heavy rains and hail, has led to the compromise of numerous hectares of orchards across Moldova, severely impacting cherry and apple production. In certain districts, up to 80% of cherry orchards have been affected, rendering the fruit unsellable, including for export purposes. The agricultural sector's response to these challenges was deliberated in a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry with district agricultural division leaders.
Vitalie Onishchuk, head of the Criuleni Agriculture Division, reported that 68 hectares of cherry orchards faced 75%-80% damage. The cherries, despite being of high quality, cannot be marketed due to water infiltration and cracking. Similarly, Alexandru Jitaru, interim head of the Edinet Agriculture Department, noted significant damage to apple and cherry orchards in Edinet, with estimated losses reaching 15.2 million lei for one peasant household.
Pavel Curus, head of the Causeni Agriculture Division, highlighted the plight of a high-performance cherry orchard in Grigorievca, where only a few crates of cherries could be harvested due to the fruits filling with water and cracking. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry is exploring solutions with the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Processors of Moldova "Speranța-CON" to process fruits damaged by the weather, as mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Bolea.
Source: ipn.md