Anti-freeze installations - solution for orchards of Moldova in cold springs

Modern systems can protect orchards from calamities by more than 90 per cent, specialists claim, in conditions when drought, frost, hail or rains occurring during the fruit harvesting period cause significant losses. New protection systems are starting being implemented at agricultural enterprises of Moldova, making the business sustainable and resilient to climate change.

Gheorghe Rusu has over three decades of experience managing an agricultural enterprise. The progress made by the company "Vardan-Agro", which he manages, confirms that all efforts are not in vain. Anti-hail systems, irrigation and more recently, the anti-freeze system are making their way into the company.

Gheorghe Rusu, manager of Vardan – Agro Ltd Company: The entire area can be protected with the help of the 4 anti-freeze installations. We opted for new varieties of apple and cherry, which are in demand by consumers. The exemptions from value added tax (VAT) and customs duty, provided under the Moldova’s Orchard project, allowed us making substantial savings.

It is also very important to involve quality specialists in the horticultural field.

Gheorghe Rusu: We employ a very good agronomist who ensures that all agro-technical and treatment works are observed. Despite the difficult situation with qualified labor force, we try to attract good specialists, because we cannot risk investing without ensuring that we will grow and store only high-quality products in coolers. I am very happy that my sons have also taken to agriculture, and now Eduard, who graduated from the faculty of horticulture, and Stanislav, who is doing a Ph.D. in plant protection, are of great help to me.

Gheorghe Rusu, the administrator of Vardan-Agro Ltd Company, has been a lifelong horticulturist. In 1998, he established his own horticultural business, and over time, he has managed 65 hectares of apple plantations and 9.6 hectares of cherry orchards. From his own experience and the one of colleagues, he realized that a business in horticulture cannot be reliable and viable, unless all protective measures are applied, such as anti-hail nets, anti-freeze systems and irrigation systems.

He was one of the first farmers of Moldova to purchase four anti-freeze installations, which protect his apple and cherry plantation from increasingly frequent spring frosts. With support from the Moldova’s Orchard project, he contracted a preferential loan of over 226,000 euros for the purchase of natural gas-powered anti-freeze installations. Together with several members of the Moldova - Fruct Association, he insisted on requests to authorities to increase subsidies for anti-freeze installations and succeeded in getting subsidies for 50 per cent of the value of the anti-freeze installations.

What is good about the Moldova’s Orchard programme

Moldova’s Orchard is a credit line worth 120 million euros. The project is funded by the European Union, through the European Investment Bank and was initiated by the Moldovan government. The minimum allocation for investments was 5,000 euros. Loans of up to 5 million euros were accessed. The credit term is a maximum of 10 years, with a grace period of up to 4 years. The project provided tax facilities, a Zero VAT rate application, and import facilities through the exemption from payment of taxes and customs procedures and excises on the import of equipment or services.

Who can be beneficiaries?

Economic agents and entrepreneurs engaging in entrepreneurial activity and wishing to implement a project in the livestock sector, fodder/cereal production, horticultural or related activities. For the horticultural sector, it involves the production, post-harvest and processing of fruits, table grapes, technical grapes, berries, nuts, vegetables, flowers, aromatic plants, etc.; the production of saplings, seedlings, and seeds; the manufacture of horticultural machinery and equipment, and the commercialization of inputs, etc.; storage, marketing, export, and retail; services such as: wine tourism and agro-tourism (related to horticulture), as well as landscaping and ornamental gardening.

Correspondent: Lilia Grubii