Grapes harvest by 25 per cent higher in Moldova in 2021 against year before

Chisinau, 25 August /MOLDPRES/ - The overall production of grapes will be by 15-25 per cent higher against the year before and by over 30 per cent lower than the average of the last five years. And this despite the unfriendly weather conditions – late frost and heavy and frequent rains from 2021, the National Office for Vine and Wine (ONVV) has reported.     

According to ONVV, the forecast of harvest for this year will vary between 6 and 9 tons/hectare. At the same time, statistics data shows that the stocks of the vine and wine production have diminished this year and amount to about 284 million litres – an insufficient volume to fulfill the contractual obligations of 2021.

Moreover, this year, a high risk of spread of seasonal diseases was registered on vine plantations and because of the low air temperatures and heavy rains, the harvest of grapes is by about 15 days later than in 2020.

As for the total exports of vine and wine products, in the first seven months of this year, the volume decreased by 10.8 per cent, in the context when the highest decreases were registered by bulk wine, while the exports of bottled wines increased by ten per cent in terms of volume. These are the principal conclusions presented by the National Office for Vine and Wine at the National Conference of the Vine and Wine Channel titled, The 2021 grapes harvest: peculiarities and turning to account, held online.    

According to ONVV director Cristina Frolov, the vine and wine sector accounts for 3 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or 7 per cent of the overall exports and remains the employer No 1 in the rural environment. ‘’Despite the challenges, to maintain the positive trend, we have worked to change the development directions, grouped on four strategic axes, which will allow a better clarity and transparency as to the work carried out. Thus, all initiatives carried out will have at the basis those four strategic axes, the goal of which is for Moldova to be recognized as a destination producing quality wines, which gives producers possibility to sell their wine products at better prices, which has strong wine companies,which can resist the global crises, which carry out the activity in a coherent investment and legal climate,’’ Frolov said.   

Attending the event, Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Viorel Gherciu also referred to the problems faced by the vine and wine sector. He noted that the government, along with the academic environment, specialized associations and development partners, would identify rational solutions which will be comprehensively covered in documents of strategic policies, especially in the context of the new document related to the development of the vine and wine sector for 2022-2030.    

„The vine and wine sector has been and will remain a priority, strategic branch of the national economy. Nevertheless, because of the severe drought from the last year, unfavourably cumulated with the pandemic situation, the 2020 vine and wine year registered a diminution of the overall production by about 28 per cent and a 10-per cent decrease in the exports of wine in natural expression. This notwithstanding, the quality of wine from the last year harvest is exceptional, with potential of maturation, which will lay foundations of exceptional native wines,’’ Gherciu added.    

photo: Agrobiznes.md