Employees of some agro-industrial companies with plum orchards claim that even mild night frosts in the first week of May practically destroyed the formed fruits.
The plum plantations of early varieties, which were least damaged by April frosts, were mainly affected.
According to experts of fruit growers’ organizations of RM, at this moment it is difficult to judge whether the negative consequences of May frosts for plum orchards are isolated cases or a total problem. However, the damage is regional in nature: there are areas where plum plantations were almost unaffected by the frosts, and areas where the plum crop died almost completely. In any case, the plum crop will be about 15-20% below the average statistical level for the last five years (about 90 thousand tons).
In the last few years, plum has confidently occupied a position in the top 5 most exported Moldovan fruits. Two seasons ago, plum exports from RM came close to 80 thousand tons – an absolute record in the history of observations. In the coming year, plum exports may turn out to be the antirecord of five years.
