Moldovan grape growers announce higher grape harvest compared to last year's fruit

Chisinau, 6 October /MOLDPRES/- Grape growers are in the middle of the harvest season and estimate that this year's production volume could be higher compared to last year's fruit. About the prognosis of the fruit, the exchange of good practices in the harvesting campaign was discussed yesterday, during a workshop dedicated to the harvesting season of table grapes, mainly of the Moldova variety.

The producers met in a vineyard in Costesti, Ialoveni district, and discussed phytosanitary treatments to combat diseases and pests of vines, researched the current range of varieties and performed comparative analyzes on the profitability of pergola and traditional plantations.

The event was also attended by Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Viorel Gherciu, who appreciated the efforts and progress of agricultural producers. The official mentioned that the ministry is concerned with identifying new markets for horticultural products.

"Promoting wine production exports to international markets is a segment that needs more attention from the authorities. Currently, it is important for the Government of the Republic of Moldova to identify the levers through which we can diversify the sales markets for domestic entrepreneurs. At the same time, the producers have the responsibility to adapt to the market requirements and to the new approaches of evaluating the competitiveness of the products ”, said Gherciu.

The workshop was organized by the Association of Grape Producers and Exporters, and Association head Gheorghe Gaberi noted during the discussions that in order to intensify exports it is necessary to increase the quality of products.

"This year, we expect a higher harvest of table grapes than last year. However, competition in the international market is fierce. The experience of the European Union states shows us that in order to improve the quality of the grapes, it is necessary to apply differentiated treatments, which improve the storage and transport properties of the berries. To this end, researchers from the Scientific-Practical Institute of Horticulture and Food Technologies have a significant share in the sector, as they focus their efforts on technology transfer, the development of fundamental studies and the development of new high-performance technologies in viticulture, "said Gheorghe Gaberi .

During the workshop, the participants also visited the packing house in Costești village, which was built within the regional development project Producers group and packing house for modern export marketing services, with a total investment of 27 million lei, including 15 million lei the state contribution through the National Fund for Regional Development and 12 million lei the contribution of the associated local producers.

In total, from the beginning of this year until now, about 24,000 tons of table grapes have been exported, and the top three countries that import Moldovan grapes are: Russian Federation, Romania and Poland.

Photo: MAIA