Farmers seek help; state vows action as drought hits southern Moldova hard
Farmers in the southern regions of the country are experiencing the worst drought in recent years. Crops have been severely damaged, resulting in losses totaling millions of lei, according to the farmers. Despite their requests, the authorities have not declared a state of emergency in the Căușeni and Ștefan Vodă districts. Instead, they are announcing several measures to provide support.
One of the affected farmers, Ștefan Pașcan from the Căușeni district, estimates that his losses this year alone exceed eight million lei. He also reports that over the last five years, he has incurred losses totaling around 20 million lei due to drought conditions. However, he states that a recent meeting with authorities did not produce any results regarding the declaration of a state of emergency in the district.
The meeting primarily focused on technical discussions aimed at addressing current agricultural challenges, specifically how to handle obligations to creditors and suppliers of inputs, as well as the bank loans that will be unrepayable this year.
Vasile Șarban, the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Agriculture, acknowledged during the “Spațiul Public” show on Radio Moldova the direct impact of the drought on agricultural production, particularly in the Căușeni and Ștefan Vodă districts. However, he emphasized that declaring a state of emergency is not within the ministry's authority.
"This issue is under examination. We have an institution that is directly responsible for managing exceptional situations – the General Inspectorate for Emergencies, which is part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. We will work with them to find a solution. It’s important to clarify that parliamentary decisions declare a state of emergency."
The solutions proposed by the Government include establishing a subsidy fund and accelerating the modernization of irrigation systems. However, farmers contend that these measures are inadequate and will not pull them out of the crisis. The severe drought has affected the southern region of the Republic of Moldova for the fourth consecutive year. Local authorities in Căușeni and Ștefan Vodă have repeatedly urged the Government to declare a state of emergency, citing losses of up to 90 percent in corn and sunflower crops, along with damage to the rapeseed and wheat harvests, which were compromised by frosts this spring.
