FAO Crop Assessment Mission in the Republic of Moldova: The impact on the agrifood system is severe, but mitigation is possible through coordinated efforts

This is the conclusion of the Food Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) presented today in Chisinau.

The assessment, conducted this autumn by FAO within the Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities (SFERA) at the request of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, represents a comprehensive analysis of the severity and extent of the drought and high input prices that affected the agriculture sector in 2022 and covers the impacts on the production of cereals, grapes, apples, plums, walnuts, and livestock.

“The agriculture sector of the Republic of Moldova is under significant stress as a consequence of the war in Ukraine, amplified by the severe drought that hit the country,” said Raimund Jehle, the FAO Representative in the Republic of Moldova. “With this available data, we have to make sure that no one is left behind. We count on donors’ support to target the vulnerable ones and continue helping the country in building a resilient, sustainable, and green agrifood system.”

The report findings show that cereal production in 2022 is expected to be more than 45 percent below the past five-year average, with maize being the most affected. The production of oil crops and pulses also are estimated to drop considerably, with declines of 26 percent and 45 percent, respectively. In the most drought-affected areas, animal fodder is likely to be insufficient to adequately feed livestock until the spring of 2023, and destocking is anticipated this winter. Therefore, the population of cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats in 2022 is expected to be between 7 percent and 11 percent lower than 2021 levels.

Small-scale farmers, who make up most of the agricultural producers in the Republic of Moldova, are typically subsistence farmers whose food security is heavily reliant upon their ability to cultivate the essential crops required for their household food basket. Unprecedented increases in the costs of critical agriculture inputs, such as seeds, fertilizers and animal feed, are increasingly hindering the ability of these households to meet their basic household food needs. Similarly, extremely dry weather conditions are impacting their ability to optimize production, owing to the limited knowledge among farmers of climate-resilient techniques and practices.

Concerns exist for the forthcoming 2022/23 cropping season, according to the report. Persisting moisture deficits in lower soil layers throughout the country may adversely impact the sector’s performance. The prices and availability of fertilizers and phytosanitary products remain a challenge, while bank credit interest rates are expected to remain at very high levels next year.

In order to minimize the effects of these negative impacts and anticipate further ones, the mission identified several support requirements for the sector as a result of the assessment, including:

• urgent short-term support actions to secure the next cropping season;
• scale up incentives for climate-resilient agriculture technologies and practices;
• improve the agriculture information system with statistics and drought early warning data; and
• integrate small-scale and backyard farmers into the marketing system, as they are the most affected by drought and the most often left behind by agriculture subsidies.

“Thanks to the provided analysis and the FAO continuous support, we have a more accurate picture of the production estimates and import needs to safeguard our food security,” said Vladimir Bolea, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry in the Republic of Moldova. “Also, by knowing the most affected areas and having the recommendations available, we can better design and target our interventions. The funds’ mobilization FAO took the lead for is of great help, and I would like to express gratitude to the development partners for the very fruitful cooperation and commitment in supporting the agrifood system in the country.”

FAO is a strategic development partner for agriculture and food systems in the Republic of Moldova, and in the past five years has been providing assistance within the Country Programming Framework 2016–2022, focusing on increasing the competitiveness of the agrifood sector, fostering sustainable agriculture and rural development, and improving capacities for the sustainable management of natural resources and disaster risk management. A new cooperation framework for the period of 2023–2027 is being developed and will be consulted with key actors in the sector. The new framework will contribute to the recently signed United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and to the objectives of the European Moldova 2030 National Development Strategy.

Since March 2022, FAO has been implementing in the Republic of Moldova an emergency programme with a total budget of nearly USD 3 million, with USD 500 000 from the Organization’s own funds and the rest contributed by other donors.