Strengthening the Capacity of Smallholders in Berry Production

There is room for growth in the berry sector in the Republic of Moldova The sector has remained hindered by several factors, including a lack of varieties that are resistant to climate and transport hazards, insufficient post harvest practices, a deficiency in marketing standards to support exports, and a limited knowledge among farmers in the application of economic, technological and management principles to strawberry and berry production This project was therefore designed to provide technical assistance in the identification of suitable regions for strawberry and berry production and in the establishment of demonstration fields that could be used for training activities The technical training was envisioned to strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers on berry production, as well as to develop the capacity of extension service providers so that they could serve as a resource for supporting farmers in the long term After an initial phase that was implemented between December 2017 and December 2019 a Phase II was carried out between June 2020 and December 2021 to allow for several remaining activities to be conducted.