Moldova calls for donor countries assistance over drought

The Moldovan government has addressed an appeal to the diplomatic missions and development partners in the donor countries asking for financial assistance and materials necessary to mitigate consequences of drought.

Under the appeal, currently, Moldova is undertaking measures to minimise consequences of drought, to develop the agrifood sector and ensure the country s food security. The latest appraisal by the Agriculture Ministry shows that the agrifood sector has incurred one billion dollars in losses.

The abnormal heat that hit Moldova this summer has provoked a crisis in the agrifood sector, with figures showing the lowest productivity of the last 60 years. Consequently, the drought will strongly impact the financial situation of farmers; the seed fund as well as the genetic fund of animals will be partially lost; there will be troubles with the raw material for the food industry and budgetary income in 2007-2008 will plunge.

Certain data show that the budget will be inflicted 518-million-lei damages in 2007 and about 300 million lei in 2008.

The appeal points out that to ensure people s food security, Moldova needs 72,200 tons of wheat flour, 9,500 tons of rye flour, 89,200 tons of potatoes, 40,300 tons of meat and 85,000 dairy products.

To provide farmers with seeds of agricultural cultures, the country needs 4,000 tons of autumn wheat, 600 tons of autumn barley, 200 tons of rape, 6,900 tons of spring barley, 10,350 tons of pea, 4,600 tons of soy, 9,100 tons of corn, 13,500 tons of potatoes for seeds. Moldova also needs 1,641 tons of fodder wheat, 51,575 tons of fertilizers and 60,586 tons of fuel.

The humanitarian assistance will be received and distributed through the Material Reserves, Public Acquisitions and Humanitarian Assistance Agency, which elaborated a mechanism of reception-distribution-monitoring of the material and humanitarian assistance, the Agriculture and Food Ministry 's press service has said.