Eight such “schools” will be organized under the program. The main beneficiaries of this form of training will be small scale farmers and rural households. Special attention will be paid to women and young farmers. Vegetable growers in these categories will receive practical support to improve production capacity, product quality and competitiveness through sustainable farming practices, the MAIA Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry said in a statement on the occasion.
The “schools” – trainings are organized by FAO within the project “Strengthening the competitiveness and resilience to climate risks of small farmers in the Republic of Moldova”. Financial contribution to the project was made by Switzerland, within the framework of the program “Inclusive and Sustainable Markets”.
Sergiu Guerciu, MAIA Secretary General, said that the ministry highly appreciates the support provided by development partners. “This is about small farmers and households that need to be able to generate income. Agriculture is not just about labor and dedication, although these are also important. Agriculture also includes a commercial component and farmers need to be helped to understand how to produce efficiently, how to manage their resources, how to sell their produce and how to be paid fairly for their labor. Our farmers know how to produce, but we need more work on marketing, sales and access to markets,” says Sergiu Guerciu.
“Smallholder farmers produce most of Moldova’s vegetables, but they face a double challenge: climate change is affecting their production efficiency and increasingly stringent market standards are limiting their access to consumers. This project supports farmers ‘on both fronts’ – in improving sustainability and environmental performance, and in ensuring the supply of products that meet market requirements,” says Nicolae Tiltu, FAO Project Coordinator in Moldova.
Guido Beltrani, Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, emphasized the importance of supporting specifically small farmers. “We are investing in this project because we see the potential: small farmers in Moldova can become competitive if they receive the necessary support. It is not only about production, but also about employment as such, able to provide stable income and jobs in rural areas. We expect that the farmers participating in this program will eventually supply products of stable high quality, including to foreign markets,” the head of the agency said.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in Moldova, out of 263.1 thousand tons of vegetables produced in 2025, about 80% were produced in the so-called individual sector – by small farmers and households.
