The state subsidy for uprooting old or unproductive perennial plantations amounted to about 10 000 MDL/ha ($500/ha) this year, EastFruit reports. Recently, Vladimir Bolya, Minister for Agriculture and Food Industry (MAIA), noted during a public discussion that the subsidy for the agrotechnological procedure will increase in 2023, given the increase in the costs of agricultural producers for energy and the “high need for renewal of perennial plantations in the country.”
According to expert estimates, the rate of uprooting of old orchards in the country has outpaced the rate of laying new plantations over the past five years. In particular, the area of apple orchards has decreased by 11% over the past three years and is currently about 45 000 ha. Plum orchards decreased by 15.3% up to 19 000 ha and peach orchards – by 24% up to 5 000 ha.
At the same time, there is an expansion of areas planted with stone fruits, which are in demand in foreign markets. Namely, the area of apricot orchards increased by 44% (up to 4 900 ha), cherry orchards – by 19.4% (up to 4 300 ha), and sour cherry orchards – by 14.7% (up to 3 900 ha).
According to the Agency for Interventions and Payments in Agriculture (AIPA), only 1 900 ha of new orchards were planted in Moldova in 2021 (in 2020 – slightly more than 2 300 ha, in 2019 – 3 300 ha). By the end of 2022, the increase in new perennial plantations is likely to be much lower than last year.
For more information: east-fruit.com