July 13, 2011

Moldova's wheat harvest expected to cover domestic demand

Moldova's wheat harvest is forecast at a preliminary 800,000 tonnes this year, up from 772,000 tonnes of wheat last year, enough to cover the domestic demand.

"Under preliminary calculations, food wheat is expected to account for some 45% of the total harvest," said Valeriu Masleanschi, an advisor at the Agriculture Ministry's department in charge of market policies for vegetable products.

Moldova's domestic demand for food wheat stands at around 350,000-400,000 tonnes. Masleanschi said the country will tap into the state reserve in case the share of food wheat is less than 45% of the total harvest this year.

The remaining 55% of the harvest will be fodder wheat. Moldova exports between 200,000 and 250,000 tonnes of wheat per year, mainly fodder wheat, Masleanschi said.

Moldova put 274,000 hectares under wheat in the autumn of last year. The average yield is expected at three tonnes per hectare, slightly higher than last year's 2.8 tonnes, Masleanschi said.

The harvesting campaign started two weeks ago.

Moldova's 2003 wheat harvest hit a post-World War II record low of some 300,000 tonnes due to a spring frost and unseasonable droughts in May and June. The country, one of the poorest states in Europe, was forced to import grain and flour from Kazakhstan, Russia, Canada and the US.