Poorer harvest of grapes expected in Moldova in 2023 against year before

Chisinau, 24 August /MOLDPRES/ - The harvest of grapes in Moldova will be by about 10-20 per cent poorer this year against the year before and will vary between 4 and 10 tons of grapes per one hectare. The participants in the council on the channel of products, Grapes, wine, products based on wine and processed products, discussed these and other details on the state of the vine plantations and the estimations of the global production of grapes in 2023.    
The participants in the meeting informed about the concerns regarding the present state of the vine plantations. As a result of the small quantity of precipitation in the 2022-2023 years and amid extremely high air temperatures in August this year, a severe and moderate hydric stress is recorded on the vine plantations and if the current weather conditions continue, they might lead to a decrease in the harvest of grapes by about 25,000-50,000 tons against the last year. At present, the phytosanitary state of the grapes is very good and/or good, but the risk of grapes’ affection by diseases is maintained. According to specialists’ forecasts, the enhanced harvesting of grapes for wine will start in the first ten-day period of September.     
At the same time, the participants in the meeting discussed the main challenges in the sector. Thus, they found out that the considerable increase in expenses for taking care of the vine plantations this year is due to the increase in the costs for inputs (fuel, pesticides, fertilizers, etc.). On the other hand, the processors of grapes said they were losing their competitiveness on sales markets and the power of competition with products from other countries because of the increase in the prices for glass bottles, for energy resources and other inputs, which directly influence the price for the finished product made out of grapes.   
The calculations received as to the expenses for taking care of the vine plantations in 2023, carried out by the National Office of Vine and Wine (ONVV) based on data delivered by more vine-growers, show that the cost price of grapes (at a harvest of about 8 tons/hectare) will be about 6.5lei/kg. As a result of the precarious situation recorded at wineries (because of the war in Ukraine), the members of the Council of product of the vine-growing and wine-making channel deemed as opportune that the estimated purchasing prices for the grapes of European varieties for wine should be at least at the level of their cost prices, i.e. about 6.5 lei/kg. The recommendation is to stimulate the getting of qualitative raw material and the purchasing prices should be differentiated depending on the variety, destination of the Protected Geographical Indication and on the grapes’ quality.     
As for the export of wine products, as a result of the information unveiled, the Council members said that, following problematic sales from the last year (because of the war in Ukraine), in the first seven months of this year, a volume of 71 million litres of wine worth 106 million dollars were exported, which is by 34 per cent more against 2022. At the same time, the participants in the meeting noted that the average export price in the first seven months of this year had increased by an average of 12 per cent for still bottled wines and by two per cent - for still bulk wines.   
Although the stocks are big in wineries and there are no financial means available to buy grapes at competitive prices, the Council members made a proposal for vine-growers and wine-makers to more closely cooperate, based on long-term contracts, ensure the procurement of all grapes from the current harvesting season, with the rescheduling of the payment and observance of the requirements set forth by the Council of product on the grapes’ purchasing prices.    
Photo: Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry