Moldovan farmers face heavy losses as sugar beet remains frozen in fields
Unfavorable weather conditions have left over 3,500 hectares of sugar beet unharvested in Moldova. Although the campaign began in September, heavy rains followed by a sudden deep freeze made fields inaccessible for heavy machinery.
Industry experts warn that the delay threatens the viability of the entire crop. Farmers report that the situation could lead to millions in financial damages as processing plants face raw material shortages.
Significant losses for local producers
Vasile Grădinaru, a farmer from Suri, Drochia District, is among those hit hardest. He was unable to harvest 65 hectares of his crop and estimates losses exceeding €102,000 (approx. 2 million MDL).
"In my 55 years of work, I have never seen the sugar factory stop twice due to a lack of beets," Grădinaru stated. He noted that temperatures dropping to -15°C halted all operations, leaving the industry in a state of uncertainty.
Technical barriers to harvesting
The frozen soil currently prevents harvesting equipment from operating. Mechanical extractors are unable to penetrate the ground to lift the beets without sustaining significant damage to the machinery.
While sugar beets can survive freezing temperatures in the soil, repeated freeze-thaw cycles degrade the sucrose content. Once harvested, frozen beets must be processed within seven days to remain commercially viable.
A broader agricultural crisis
Grigore Baltag, head of the Ministry of Agriculture, explained that November offered only three or four "operational windows" for harvesting. Officials are now waiting for temperatures to stabilize around -5°C to allow machinery back onto the fields.
The crisis is not limited to the sugar sector. Approximately 20 major producers are affected, and similar issues are being reported by corn farmers, who have seen their harvests stalled by high humidity and persistent rainfall.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
