Moldovan farmers to become more resilient with financial support of European Union, Czech Republic

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Chisinau today. It marks the launch of the Team Europe - Sustainable Agri-food Systems Initiative, a project worth 8.5 million euros aimed at modernizing and enhancing the resilience of national agriculture.

The Memorandum establishes cooperation between the European Union, the Czech Republic and Poland in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, in order to implement a four-year project. Out of the total budget, the European Union contributes 7.5 million euros, and the Czech Republic - one million euros. The implementation will be ensured by the Czech Development Agency and the Solidarity Fund PL in Moldova, with the support of the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Center.

The objectives include promoting the use of drought and flood-resistant varieties of seeds, introducing new soil quality assessment laboratory tests, supporting precision agriculture and ecological practices, as well as creating a digital Organic Agricultural Register. The project also aims to strengthen the AKIS system, meant to develop innovation capacities and knowledge transfer in agriculture, and implement the AMIS system, in order to allow more efficient monitoring of agricultural markets and risk management in the sector.

‘’The agricultural sector faces major challenges, affecting the development and competitiveness of farmers, but at the same time driving us, as an authority, to find solutions to overcome them. The project launched pursues two main directions: supporting farmers in applying sustainable agricultural practices and strengthening their resilience to shocks, including climatic ones, as well as digitizing and modernizing sector processes. Moreover, the project contributes to the development of the knowledge and innovation system, as well as market and risk monitoring mechanisms. The actions provided align with the ministry's strategic objectives of building a sustainable and resilient agricultural sector and supporting farmers to become better organized, collaborate and integrate into value chains,’’ said Ina Butucel, deputy secretary-general of the ministry.

‘’We are happy to join forces with the Czech Republic, Poland and Latvia, alongside MAIA and Moldovan institutions, to build sustainable solutions together. We want to see, at the end of this project, a more resilient agri-food sector, capable of integrating innovation, technological transfer and investments, while contributing to food security and Moldova's European integration,’’ said Adam Grodzicki, Deputy Head of the Cooperation Section of the European Union Delegation in Moldova.

‘’Moldovan farmers are pragmatic and result-oriented, so solutions must be tested and adapted to local realities. The project is not limited to technology transfer, but also provides financial support, so that farmers can immediately put into practice the knowledge acquired. Will we succeed only in this way,’’ said Michal Mincev, Director of the Czech Development Agency.

‘’Moldova stays a priority country in Poland's development cooperation programmes. We want to support entrepreneurs in rural areas and contribute to a better integration of Moldova into the European space. European solidarity and unity have brought us prosperity, and now we want to share this experience here,’’ said Justyna Janiszewska, Chairwoman of the Board of Solidarity Fund PL.