President Sandu calls for more efficiency in Moldovan agriculture
The state will stand by farmers, but cannot support inefficiency, President Maia Sandu said at an extended meeting with the biggest employers and taxpayers in the agricultural sector.
The head of state said the authorities want agriculture to become an "emblem of Moldova" and be known worldwide for the quality and competitiveness of its products. This requires the involvement of farmers, Maia Sandu said.
"We need the contribution and help of every farmer to transform the agricultural sector into a competitive, developed and profitable branch of Moldova's economy. To do this, we need to make the best use of our advantages and change the way we do agriculture in the Republic of Moldova. We have the most fertile soils in the world, but we wonder why we are still performing poorly, because agriculture is not just about good soil, it is also about proper planning, scientific research, investment in technological innovations and high-performance equipment, skilled workers and more cooperation between entrepreneurs in this sector."
The President cited the example of the Netherlands in this regard, noting that agriculture there is very competitive and that the Netherlands is the second largest exporter of agricultural products after the USA. These results are possible because Dutch farmers collaborate with each other and work with scientists.
Maia Sandu stressed that the state will stand by Moldovan farmers, but it is necessary to promote efficiency and competitiveness in agriculture, so that subsidies lead to the development of an efficient and competitive agricultural sector.
"Subsidies must encourage the increase of competitiveness of agricultural products and not continue the bad result of wasting public money. We need to understand one thing: subsidies are not a social protection mechanism and cannot cover planning mistakes, debts or procurements that have nothing to do with the development of the agricultural sector. Subsidies must be about efficient and effective agriculture. The subsidy system must be adjusted so that it leads to development of competitive farmers. It must provide tools to increase productivity and encourage farmers to develop other priority areas for the country, such as animal husbandry."
There are 2.8 million hectares of farmland in Moldova.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
