Despite that the spring frosts affected the orchards in some regions, Moldovan producers estimate a good and high-quality plum harvest in the current season and ready to deliver plums with a good caliber to buyers around the world. Currently, 22,000 hectares of plums are cultivated in Moldova with an average annual harvest of 100,000 tons.
Efforts made in recent years by Moldova Fruct Association and its members made it possible for many customers to enjoy Moldovan fruit, especially those varieties that are most grown in the country like Kabardinca, Stanley and President.
Iurie Fala, the executive director of the Fruit Producers and Exporters Association Moldova Fruct, said, “The number of Moldovan companies adopting GLOBALG.A.P./GRASP and other quality certifications is growing year by year. This demonstrates the increase in professionalism in the sector. As a result, our plums are conquering new markets every year, so more and more consumers are discovering that taste makes the difference when they talk about Moldovan fruits.”
Having won a top position on the Romanian market over the past five years, Moldovan plum exporters have expanded on new markets, such as Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic and more recently Austria and Germany. More than 1,300 tons of plums were exported to Germany in 2019, and 700 tons to Austria, which is more than double the previous year’s figure for both markets.
Considering that, Moldova exported more than 19,000 tons of plums to the EU market in 2019, since this year the European Union has increased tariff quotas for plums from 10,000 to 15,000 tons, which can be exported to the EU without taxes.
Moldovan plums are in high demand both in Eastern and in Western markets and are the second most exported fruits from Moldova. The country is one of the ten largest world plum exporters.
The Fruit Producers and Exporters Association of Moldova, also known as “Moldova Fruct”, is the largest association dedicated to advancing the horticultural sector in the Republic of Moldova. Among the members of the association are growers, exporters, processors and service providers. Moldova Fruct represents the apple, cherry, apricot, pear, peach, plum and table grape sectors, as well as food processors.
A source: https://www.fructidor.com
