The agriculture in the Republic of Moldova is set to be improved following a higher-level verification, thanks to a new project worth approximately 1.5 million euros, funded by the Czech Republic.
The project will bring benefits in terms of enhancing control and testing capacity in agriculture, positively impacting food safety and the agricultural sector in general.
In this regard, on January 23, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development, and Environment (MAIA), the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA), the Central Phytosanitary Laboratory, and the Central Institute for Supervision and Testing in Agriculture of the Czech Republic (ÚKZÚZ).
“The year has started with good things and new collaborations. This sustained step by the Czech government is significant for successfully consolidating our phytosanitary control capacities,” mentioned the Minister of Agriculture, Vladimir Bolea.
The main goal of the project is the efficient implementation of preventive measures, leading to minimizing or addressing the negative impact of phytosanitary issues, including reducing the risks of the spread and introduction of harmful organisms into the territory of the Republic of Moldova.
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“The direct beneficiaries of the project will primarily be economic operators in the agricultural field in the Republic of Moldova, who will have at their disposal a control authority with an enhanced capacity for detecting and evaluating the impact of harmful organisms. There will also be laboratories with strengthened analytical capacity, conducting precise and accurate analyses through rapid diagnostic methods with high sensitivity, fully validated. Ultimately, the beneficiaries are the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, as well as those in countries importing Moldovan agricultural products, who will consume harmless and high-quality agricultural products. Indirectly, the entire country’s economy will benefit because, under better phytosanitary conditions, agricultural products will become more competitive, both in the domestic and foreign markets,” states a press release from the Ministry.
The project will provide support for modern laboratory equipment and information systems, training for laboratory staff and ANSA inspectors, assistance in harmonizing the legal framework in the field, strengthening the institutional capacity of the institutions within the institutional system, as well as other important activities.
Additionally, through this support from the Czech Republic, a phytosanitary system, state controls, and official procedures aligned with the EU acquis will be established, allowing the production of healthy planting material in our country. Thus, Moldovan farmers will have access to planting material free of harmful organisms and diseases.