The creation of this specialized public organization is envisaged by the law on fruit growing adopted last spring. A year before that, the idea of creating a National Office of Fruit Growing – in the image of the National Office of Grape and Wine – appeared in the corporate environment of fruit growers at the suggestion of MAIA and some external development partners. Leaders of industry organizations were even sent on a European study tour with their help. Which, according to them, was very successful.
Up to a certain point, practically all fruit-growing associations – from large and influential to small and neglected by the authorities – supported the idea of creating a common organization of the national level. However, by the fall of last year, disagreements between them emerged. MAIA also had a dissenting opinion, which differed in some respects from the opinion of the leaders of the sectoral associations on a number of conceptual aspects of the creation and activities of the future Office of Fruit Growing.
For example, some participants of the dialogue believed that both obvious fruit growers and small niche sectors of crop production, for example, producers of medicinal, aromatic and essential oil crops, should be represented in the new organization. Otherwise, they would find themselves as if “between the chairs” – not grain, not wine, and not canned goods.
The scheme of distribution of seats in the administrative council of the future organization was also controversial: some of them were offered more, others less.
Finally, few of the leaders of branch organizations were satisfied with the fact that candidates for administrative positions in the Office of Fruit Growing, according to the draft regulations, should be approved by the Ministry. On the grounds that half of the financing of the new public organization will be formed by a transfer from the state budget. The activists of some strong organizationally and financially well-established associations did not like the fact that they would also contribute, but indirectly depending on the location of MAIA.
What does this have to do with chambers of agriculture?
Technically, nothing. The only similarity is that the ideas to create the Office of Horticulture and the Chambers of Agriculture (regional and national level) appeared at the same time and from the same circle of people in the MAIA leadership. Some representatives of the agro-industrial community express the opinion that the goals of these seemingly different organizations were similar. The main one is to influence agricultural producers. Chambers and branch offices are meant to become loyal “partners in professional and social dialog” with the authorities of RM.
At the moment, many sectoral organizations individually and jointly (within the Council of Agrifood Associations CAPA) consistently protest against the creation of agricultural chambers. In its turn, MAIA, contrary to the statements about the neutral position of state structures in the process of creating these non-governmental professional organizations, contribute in every possible way to their rapid formation.
In particular, recently, a representative of the ministry’s leadership announced that the activity of the five chambers of agriculture, which are expected to be established in 2026, will be supported by funding from the state budget, and generously – about 21 million lei.
Obviously, in terms of organization building for MAIA in particular and the government in general, the formation of agricultural chambers is an obvious priority.
And what will happen to the construction of the Office of Horticulture?
In a conversation with Logos Press correspondent, MAIA State Secretary Vasile Charban noted that, taking into account the large number of claims to the concept of its creation by fruit-growing associations, the ministry will not insist on the realization of this task.
Moreover, MAIA leadership analyzes the possibility of developing an amendment to the Law on Fruit Growing, canceling the necessity of its formation on a mandatory basis. However, the Ministry has no right to make a decision to launch this lawmaking process alone. Therefore, the Ministry will invite fruit-growers’ associations to have a final say on this issue.
