UN Food and Agriculture Organization launches farmer field schools in central Moldova district: climate-resilient vegetables, market access

Small vegetable producers of Moldova will benefit from practical training and support for the development of their agricultural businesses with the launch of the Farmer Field Schools programme initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Hancesti.

The programme is implemented under the project, Strengthening competitiveness and climate resilience of small-scale farmers from Moldova, co-financed by Switzerland through the Inclusive and Resilient Markets programme. In total, eight field schools dedicated to the vegetable sector will be organized, targeting mainly small farmers and rural households, with a focus on women and young farmers.

The participants will learn how to apply modern, sustainable and climate-adapted agricultural practices, so they can improve their productivity, crop quality and market access.

Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry Sergiu Gherciu stressed that agriculture should be seen as a business, not only as a traditional activity.

“We are talking about small farms that must be able to generate income. Our farmers know how to produce, but we need to work more on marketing, sales and access to market,” the official said.

According to FAO Moldova project manager, Nicolae Tiltu, small producers supply most of the vegetables consumed in the country, but they face both the effects of climate change and increasingly strict market requirements.

“This project supports them on both fronts — to produce more sustainably and more resiliently and to deliver products which meet market requirements,” he noted.

For his part, Country Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Guido Beltrani highlighted the economic potential of small farms.

“We expect that farmers who go through this programme will be able to deliver products of constant quality, including to external markets,” Beltrani said.

Data by the National Statistics Bureau show that about 80 per cent out of 263.1 thousand tons of vegetables produced in Moldova in 2025 came from peasant households and small farms.

Among the participants in the programme, there is Lucia Cășuneanu, manager of a farm in the village of Buteni, Hancesti district, specializing in growing vegetables in protected areas on an area of about two hectares.

“We would like to get our products on store shelves, but we still do not have an offer that meets the requirements of retail chains. Through the field school, we want to get information that will help us develop and bring our product as close as possible to the consumer,” the farmer said.

Through this programme, FAO and its partners aim to turn small vegetable farms into more competitive and climate-resilient businesses, thus contributing to the economic development of rural communities from Moldova.