As noted by the author of the market review, agromarketing expert Yuri Riza, the export “grain basket” has expanded to eight commodity items—matching the months with the widest range of products. However, it continues to be dominated by just two commodities—wheat (52.6% by volume, 49.6% by value) and corn (46.9% and 49.6%, respectively).
|
Grain Exports |
Weight, metric tons | Value, lei | Average price, lei/t | Export structure by weight, % |
Export structure by value, % |
| Wheat |
79,644 |
307,580,015 | 3,862 | 52.57% |
49.58% |
| Corn |
71,026 |
309,834,579 | 4,362 | 46.88% |
49.95% |
| Barley |
559 |
1,781,888 | 3,187 | 0.37% |
0.29% |
| Oats |
225 |
763,205 | 3,392 | 0.15% |
0.12% |
| Grain sorghum |
23 |
169,736 | 7,254 | 0.02% |
0.03% |
| Rye |
10 |
78,850 | 7,885 | 0.01% |
0.01% |
| Fig. |
3 |
73,937 | 25,934 | 0.002% |
0.01% |
| Buckwheat |
1 |
36,483 | 28,682 | 0.001% |
0.01% |
| Total grain exports |
151,492 |
620,318,693 | 100% | 100% |
In June, the trend from the previous month continued: the share of wheat in Moldova’s grain exports decreased, while that of corn increased. As a result, last month saw the most balanced structure of Moldova’s grain exports for the first half of the year: wheat and corn reached parity, and in terms of value, nearly complete parity.
Export Destinations
In June, the two main buyers—Italy and Romania—accounted for about 80% of Moldova’s total wheat exports. This marks the highest level of market concentration for Moldova’s wheat exports (accounting for just two buyers) in the first half of 2026. Italy has retained its position as the top buyer of Moldovan wheat for the second consecutive month (42.50% in May, 44.45% in June). In late winter and early spring, Greece and Romania held that position.
Price analysis reveals a pattern typical for this half-year: Italy paid 4,056 lei/metric ton for Moldovan wheat (5% above the average market price for this commodity). This was the case throughout the first half of 2026, reflecting the higher quality standards for grain set by Italian flour mills.
In June, Romania paid an average of 3,693 lei/metric ton for wheat from the Republic of Moldova. Throughout this period (with rare deviations from the trend), the neighboring country purchased Moldovan wheat at a discount.
In June, Moldovan corn was shipped to 13 countries—the widest geographic reach for the half-year. The key event of the month was the virtual tie between Italy (22.97%) and Turkey (22.88%) at the top of the buyer rankings. Until May, Turkey’s presence in Moldova’s corn market had been purely symbolic.
At the same time, Turkey purchased Moldovan corn last month at a price above the average—4,686 lei/metric ton (+7.4% compared to the average price), making this export destination not only significant in terms of volume but also one of the most profitable among major buyers. In July, Italy paid 3,997 lei/metric ton for Moldovan corn.
