Moldovan chicken, eggs: EU market access & hurdles
Despite Moldova gaining the right to export chicken meat and eggs to the European Union market, the number of authorized exporters remains extremely low.
This situation is due to the strict standards imposed by the EU's single market, which only a few local producers manage to meet, explained Deputy Prime Minister Doina Nistor, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization, on the "360 Degrees" show on Radio Moldova.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, to enter the European market, producers must go through a long and costly process of adapting to EU requirements.
"Several entrepreneurs told me they prepared for over a year to obtain the necessary quality certificates. It's essential for Moldovan entrepreneurs, especially those in agriculture and the agri-food industry, to reorient themselves toward more stable markets. Our products are sought after in the EU, but we must be prepared to comply with all requirements," added Doina Nistor.
Even though the current export volume is modest, the interest and economic benefits are significant. The price obtained from European clients is considerably better than on the domestic market, which allows producers to maintain competitive prices at home and diversify their markets, Doina Nistor emphasized.
"A client from the Netherlands, after testing the quality of Moldovan chicken meat, placed orders three to four months in advance. That entrepreneur now wants to support other farmers in learning the technology needed to satisfy the European market's requirements," the minister stated.
There are 43 poultry farms and nearly 227,000 individual households raising up to six million birds in Moldova. Additionally, there are 24 poultry slaughterhouses in the republic, which annually supply almost 45,000 tons of meat, and 12 egg collection centers package nearly 253 million eggs each year.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
