The storm season, which is dangerous for agriculture, has begun in Moldova. Last week in Cahul, torrential rain struck the region, accompanied by pea-sized hail. Although operators of the anti-hail rocket system remain on high alert, they have not yet launched any projectiles. This year, Moldova has 2,200 rockets in stock and has ordered another 1,300 from Bulgaria. However, specialists warn that this may not be enough given the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, tvrmoldova.md reports.
According to the source, 22 anti-hail rocket launching points operate in the Călărași district, protecting more than 260,000 hectares of agricultural land, including key wine and fruit-growing areas. Each launch point covers around 1,000 hectares. Last year, specialists fired more than 70 rockets from this district alone.
“In season, we monitor the sky for about 100 to 120 days and intervene around 20 times. Utilization depends on the complexity of the weather events—the more complex, the higher the costs,” said Ludmila Gavriliuc, commander of the Special Unit in Calarashi.
Residents express growing concern over potential hailstorms, which could intensify as temperatures rise. Many fear that hail could cause severe damage. Residents of Ungheni, for instance, worry because their area lacks anti-hail systems, unlike nearby villages like Pitushca and other locations in Calarashi.
FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS, FOLLOW US ON TWITTER!
This year, Moldova will protect over 1,665,000 hectares of farmland with its anti-hail systems, deploying 132 launch points concentrated in the north and center of the country, where most of its agricultural land lies.
“That’s the full area covered by the Special Service. We mainly protect the northern part and, in the south, a few districts like Cahul and Ceadir-Lunga. Our role is to intervene directly during hail formation. We don’t destroy hail but work to reduce its size,” explained Veaceslav Struna, head of the Broadcasting Group.
The Republic of Moldova enters the 2025 hail protection season with over 2,200 rockets and plans to add another 1,300 purchased from Bulgaria. The government has allocated 12 million lei for this acquisition, tvrmoldova.md reports.
“In total, we will have about 3,550 missiles. That might be enough, but it might not. In some years, we launched around 3,000 rockets; however, in 2021, we fired close to 10,000. Authorities have promised additional funding during the mid-year budget revision, and we have already taken the necessary steps,” said Vasile Aghenie, Deputy Director of the Hail Service.
The hail protection season will run until the end of September. Over the past decade, Moldova has recorded more than 644 episodes of heavy rain, hailstorms, and strong winds.