Moldova lifts ban on wheat, flour exports

Moldova’s Commission for Emergency Situations (CES) decided to lift a ban on wheat and flour exports it had enforced in March due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

However, the Commission decided to keep in place the ban on sugar exports, a document posted on Friday on the government’s website shows.

The Commission’s decision to allow wheat and flour exports was prompted by a protest by the Farmers’ Force association, local media reported.

Earlier this month, agriculture minister Viorel Gherciu said that this year’s wheat harvest is expected to be up to 35% lower at 1 million tonnes due to drought and because less fields were sown. However, Gherciu said that the wheat harvest will be enough to meet domestic consumption and export.

Moldova’s agricultural output fell by 2.4% on the year to 1.805 billion lei ($97 million/ 91 million euro) in comparable prices in the first quarter of 2022, mainly due to a drop in livestock production, according to data from the country’s statistical office.

In 2021, the country’s agricultural output rose 50% mainly due to a strong rise in plant production.

On Thursday, Moldova’s parliament extended by 45 days as of June 24 the state of emergency enforced following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moldova has been in a state of emergency since Russia began the military invasion of Ukraine, on February 24.

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