Moldova. This year’s wheat harvest will exceed 1.2 million tons

Moldovan farmers expect a good wheat harvest of over 1.2 million tons this year. Spring precipitation was favorable for the first group of grains. The country’s average harvest will be 3.6 tons per hectare, Vasile Sharban, state secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, told Radio Moldova. And the price of grain is rising. Following the withdrawal of the Russian Federation from the Black Sea Grain Export Agreement, the price of wheat on the Paris Stock Exchange rose by 20 euros per ton on Thursday.

“In the spring of 2023, we had precipitation in the form of rain. We had good enough weather for these crops to develop. We will have more than 1.2 mln tons of wheat across the country. According to statistics, the average harvest across the country will be about 3.5-3.6 tons per hectare on an area of 351 thousand hectares, and this figure will be slightly higher because not everyone declares how much area they have sown. And the harvest in general may be higher,” said Vasyl Sharban.

Viorel Kivriga, an agricultural expert, told Radio Moldova that farmers should monitor wheat price fluctuations on major European exchanges, including regional ones. The expert noted that now is not the time for farmers to sell their products at low prices over the next 2-3 weeks. Economic interests are at the forefront, and the surplus should be exported. For domestic consumption, Moldova needs about 400 thousand tons of wheat or slightly more. It would be inappropriate for anyone to keep wheat in storage because there is no demand on the domestic market. Agriculture has to work with both the domestic and international markets.

Wheat prices have risen significantly in recent days after Russia announced that it is no longer participating in the Black Sea Grain Export Agreement. According to European analysts, the expiration of the agreement will force Kyiv to export the 2023 harvest via alternative routes, through river ports and the EU border, with high logistical costs.

Tags: wheat, Moldova, crop forecast