Minister of Agriculture Discusses Opportunities and Challenges for Moldovan Products in Romanian Markets

Romania is the most important trading partner of the Republic of Moldova, receiving over a third of all Moldovan exports. During the “Punctul pe AZi” program on TVR MOLDOVA, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Vasile Bolea, was asked to elaborate on the conditions under which more products from Moldova could reach the shelves of supermarkets in Romania.

“Romania is a very large market, with very high demands. Very few economic agents in the Republic of Moldova can meet the requirements of a large chain in Romania, speaking quantitatively, not qualitatively. Qualitatively, everyone meets the standards. But when you sign a contract with a large chain, it tells you I need several thousand tons of this type of product in so many stores on days 1, 2, 3, 4, and unfortunately, in the Republic of Moldova, the system of cooperatives, producer groups, or the so-called agro-hubs, where farmers gather their goods, homogenize them, and then deliver them in stable quantities, has not been developed. This is also the reason why many domestic producers do not reach the shelves in Moldova because they lack homogeneous goods, continuity in their activities, the certified product to the end, or many other things. In practice, the reason we do not reach Romania is the same reason we do not reach Moldova. But I believe that the vast majority of producer groups will be created based on professional associations; they are beginning to appreciate these things,” said Vladimir Bolea.

FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS, FOLLOW US ON TWITTER!

Official data reveals that two out of three products exported by Moldova, i.e., 64%, reached European markets from January to September 2023. The largest share in Moldova’s goods exports is held by agri-food products, approximately 53.5%. The data also shows that Romania has become the main market for Moldovan products. Romania stands out as the primary importer of Moldovan grapes in the EU, totaling 7,506.8 tons, representing almost 81% of total grape exports to the EU.

“In 2023, we became the top importer of plums in the EU, we are in third place for walnut kernel imports, we are very good at producing and exporting wine, and we have become champions in producing high-quality table grapes and exporting them. Farmers and producers from the Republic of Moldova are highly respected abroad, and our products have quality,” added Vladimir Bolea.