FAO to support small farmers in Moldova to increase productivity

Chisinau, 9 September /MOLDPRES/- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Moldova (FAO) is launching a new project that will support small farmers affected by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 drought.

Today, Viorel Gherciu, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, and Raimund Jehle, FAO Representative in Chisinau signed a project to support small farmers. Thus, farmers will be able to access the local market more easily, by increasing productivity, and developing a better understanding of market opportunities, as well as an approach aimed at meeting the quality requirements of processors and suppliers.

The money needed to implement the project, 265,000 dollars, is provided by FAO through its technical cooperation program. The project will be carried out jointly with the Government of the Republic of Moldova in  2021-2023.

The project will also help strengthen the capacity of national authorities to analyze and formulate policies that meet the needs of small farmers, especially those in the livestock sector, thus increasing their opportunities and income levels.

The project will create a multi-stakeholder, country-wide platform that will act as a communication channel between the government, experts and small ruminant farmers. A National Action Plan (NAP) for family farms will also be developed, which will include coherent and comprehensive actions to strengthen them.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, almost 97% of sheep and 86% of cattle are owned by small farmers.

Photo: FAO