2,000 Moldovan farmers will get equipment to protect crops from drought, hail, and heatwaves
Two thousand farmers in vulnerable rural areas will receive agricultural equipment, including greenhouses, mulch films and electric cultivators, to protect their crops and increase their incomes. The equipment will be provided through the Climate Change Adaptation Grants Program, launched on Thursday, October 9.
The program, implemented by the Consolidated Implementation Unit of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (UCIP IFAD), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and the National LEADER Development Network, will be carried out in 166 mayoralties from 43 Local Action Groups (LAGs), identified as areas extremely vulnerable to climate risks and characterized by a high level of poverty.
Thus, UCIP IFAD will ensure, together with the LAGs, the training of farmers, the selection of beneficiaries and the distribution of equipment.
"Priority in accessing agricultural equipment will be given to low-income peasant households, single-parent families, families with more than three children or people with moderate disabilities who own or lease up to 10 hectares of agricultural land", announced the director of UCIP IFAD, Iurie Ușurelu.
He specified that the program aims to increase the number of agricultural producers who earn additional income and to train a larger number of people in protecting vegetable crops from drought, hail, and heatwaves.
The Climate Change Adaptation Grant Program, offered by the Government through IFAD, represents an important step in supporting small entrepreneurs and household producers in rural areas, contributing to sustainable economic development and increasing the quality of life in rural areas of the Republic of Moldova, emphasized at the event, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Sergiu Gherciu.
"LAGs contribute not only to adapting to climate risks, but also to reducing poverty and improving living conditions in rural areas. It is another step towards sustainable development, and the involvement of local communities shows us that change starts from the bottom up, with dedicated people and solutions adapted to the reality of the territory", pointed out the director of the LAG "Colinele Tigheciului", Rima Stăvilă.
The launch event included a training workshop for trainers on good agricultural practices, aimed at accelerating the adoption of climate-resilient practices.
In the coming weeks, LAGs will conduct information and outreach activities for local communities regarding the application procedure and eligibility criteria for accessing grants.
