Moldova Agriculture Competitiveness Project extended

Chisinau, 29 May /MOLDPRES/ - The Moldova Agriculture Competitiveness Project (MAC- P) has been extended till 30 June 2021. Thus, the groups of producers will still have possibility to get grants worth up to 350,000 dollars for developing business.   

The grants are available for the groups of producers with at least five members, from the horticulture sector (cultivation of fruits, nuts and grapes), as well as the one of collection and processing of milk and honey.  

„The project’s extension is a positive factor for the entire economy of Moldova. Due to the project’s effort, the number of jobs increases, enterprises turn more profitable, the export potential of Moldovan goods is enhanced,” the executive director of the consolidated unit for the implementation and monitoring of projects in the agriculture sector, financed by the World Bank, Liviu Gumovschi, has said.  

„The impact of the MAC-P project for the agriculture of Moldova is incontestably great. In fact, this project offers two solutions for the sector – farmers receive resources for infrastructure: refrigerated warehouses, sorting lines, etc. and are backed to associate and become stronger,” the state secretary at the Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Ministry, Iurie Usurelu, said.    

The MAC-P project was launched in 2012, in order to provide farmers with logistic and financial support, to consolidate the capacities of sustainable management of farmlands, processing and packing farming products and facilitating access to market. At the same time, the project sees modernization of the system of management of food products’ safety.      

Since the beginning of the project, financially backed by the World Bank, the government of Sweden and the Global Environment Fund 56 groups of producers have been registered in Moldova. Grant resources worth about 9.2 million dollars were disbursed to 34 groups of producers within the programme of investment grants meant for groups of producers. Another at least five groups of producers are to benefit from financing during 2019. The maximal value of a grant is 350,000 dollars. The great deal of the groups of producers associated to produce fruits, two groups – to cultivate vegetables and one group is producing peanuts and almonds.