Moldovan agriculture ministry to back research in horticulture, food technologies sector

Chisinau, 13 October /MOLDPRES/ - The Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry (MAIA) will support the Scientific and Practical Institute of Horticulture and Food Technologies ​ (IȘPHTA), after the competent minister has recently visited and discussed with the administration of the research centre about the institution’s vulnerabilities and opportune solutions to overcome them.  
The sides analyzed the obstacles which limit the institute’s functionality, identified the priority directions for strengthening the research and innovation system in the sector and explored ways of enhancing the institution’s visibility nationally and internationally, through the attraction of investments and launch of development projects.
„The research and innovation component is indispensable to the horticultural and viticulture sector and the ministry’s goal is to enhance the efficiency of the branch research institutions, in order to increase the competitiveness of the national economy, stimulate the productivity and get new scientific results within national and international projects. We will join efforts to identify financial sources aimed at improving the current situation and at consolidating the cooperation between state’s institutions, so that we create a friendly environment of work for researchers,’’ Agriculture Minister Viorel Gherciu said.    
The official visited the institution’s laboratories and experimental fields, where researchers shared their professional experience, scientific results and presented the technologies applied in the process of diversifying the basis of genetic horticultural and viticulture resources, of creating varieties and hybrids.    
The Scientific and Practical Institute of Horticulture and Food Technologies is a scientific research institute, which is the manager of the technical and scientific process in the horticultural and viticulture sectors, wine-making and foot technologies from Moldova. The institute’s strategic direction is oriented to agricultural biotechnologies, soil’s fertility and food security. The accredited profiles are: improvement of the vine and elaboration of advanced technologies in viticulture; innovating technologies in wine-making; improving the varieties of fruits trees and cultivation technologies; food technologies and of processing agricultural raw material.    
Photo: MAIA