"How do you like this, Madame Sandu?": 69% of Moldovan apples are exported to Russia

Economic analyst Vladimir Golovatyuk was surprised by the statement of Moldovan Minister Dumitru Alaiba that allegedly "in the first ten months of this year, the export of apples to the EU amounted to 228 million lei." Moreover, the official stressed that "this success was made possible thanks to the work of our farmers. We support them by providing access to new markets."

"I'm not a minister, thank God, and I don't have export data for 10 months, but we can and should comment on something. The export of apples to the EU for 10 months for 228 million lei is 12.9 million dollars. At the same time, Moldovan exports of apples to the CIS for six months amounted to about $ 40 million (mainly in Russia).

Can you imagine? The export of apples to the CIS in six months is three times more than in the EU in ten months. And this makes Mr. Alaiba very happy and impressed!

The second. About access to new markets. Unfortunately, both ten years ago and now the European market for Moldovan goods, primarily agricultural products, is more than 90 percent the Romanian market," says Golovatyuk.

The expert states that in the first quarter of 2024, 90% of apple exports to the EU went to Romania, 5 percent to the Netherlands, 1.4 percent each to Germany, Spain and Sweden, 0.7 to Bulgaria, 0.3 to Croatia. In the second quarter, 96.7% of apple exports to the EU were delivered to Romania, 3 percent to Holland, 0.3 to Bulgaria. That's the whole European market for Moldovan apples. Unfortunately!

"Friends, I do not and cannot have any schadenfreude! The workers of our fields and orchards grow apples and plums, wheat and corn with such difficulty that we can only welcome the expansion of the geography of sales of their products. But if this extension is real, and not the verbal props of some officials. To really expand the sales markets of Moldovan products, it is necessary to work seriously, removing all phobias and dogmas. At the same time, it is advisable not to lose the old markets," the analyst advises.

By the way, the export of Moldovan apples to the EU in the first half of 2024 amounted to 19% of their total exports, and in CIS — 73 percent, including Russia — almost 69%. In general, 17 thousand tons of apples were sold in the EU in six months, and in CIS — 65 thousand. 16 thousand tons were sold to Romania, and in Russia — 53 thousand. And, again, no sarcasm!

"New markets are, of course, good, but it is undesirable to lose the old ones. New markets should be not instead of the old ones, but in addition to them!", — concludes Golovatyuk.

Meanwhile, the debt of the Moldovan state budget on subsidies to farmers for 2023 ranges from 450 to 600 million lei, Kaushan farmer Sergiu Stefanco said with reference to the data of the Agency for Interventions in Agriculture. Moreover, during the rectification of the budget, the government added only five million lei to agriculture. In this regard, Stefanko urged farmers to realize the crisis situation in the industry and draw conclusions.