News about Agribusiness

Late last week, the President of Ukraine held meetings with the Commander-in-Chief of the country’s armed forces, the Acting Minister of Defense, the Prime Minister, and the heads of various ministries. Among other issues, the topics of infrastructure protection and Ukrainian grain exports were discussed.

Over the past week, wheat futures prices on the European stock exchange Euronext rose by an average of 18%. This occurred despite favorable forecasts for the harvest of Group 1 grains in many European countries. The reason is the near-total blockade of Ukrainian ports and the sharply increased risks to shipping in the Black Sea.

In 2026, farmers will be able to participate in a single competitive grant program for post-investment subsidies, which will most likely be launched by the end of the year. However, under the new support mechanism, advance subsidies and phased investment compensation will no longer be provided.

Vasile Șarban, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, has joined the race for the position of MAIA director and has taken the lead.

The Moldovan company owned by Andrei Melnichenko, a Russian oligarch subject to sanctions, has officially filed for bankruptcy. Until recently, the company was one of the leading importers of mineral fertilizers.

Last week, the Agency for Agricultural Interventions and Payments, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, carried out the final phase of a campaign to inform farmers and local administrations about the opportunities offered by the new Strategic Program for Agricultural Policy (PSPA). Based on the initial impressions of experts from the agency and the ministry, the campaign was a success.

The Administrative Council of the “Forța Fermierilor” Association decided to approach Prime Minister Vasile Tofan with a proposal to consider the candidacy of the organization’s director, Alexandru Slusari, for the position of Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry.

The Allseeds Group, one of the world’s largest operators in the oilseed market, has announced the suspension of its operations in Ukraine. The decision was made due to the extremely high risks to the lives and safety of its employees, as well as to its production facilities.

The National Center for Seed Research and Production will serve as a facility for testing European industrial hemp varieties and providing scientific support for their production to meet the needs of the industry in the Republic of Moldova. This was announced by the center’s director, Anatolie Spivachenko, during a seminar on adapting agriculture to climate change.

The National Food Safety Agency reported on the preliminary results of a large-scale inspection campaign targeting all types of livestock farms, as well as slaughterhouses, throughout Moldova.

In northern Moldova (Coresteuți, Ocnița), another irrigation system—built by farmers in collaboration with local authorities and with grant support from the IFAD VIII program—has begun operating.

Radu Musteață, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, announced his resignation. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan has already accepted the resignation. Both sides agreed that the decision was made to preserve public confidence in the new cabinet.

Gross apricot production in the Republic of Moldova in 2026 is estimated at 15,000–17,000 metric tons, which is comparable to the figures for 2024. This was reported by the Moldova Fruct Association.

Freight rates for barge transport from the Ukrainian Danube ports of Reni and Izmail to the Romanian port of Constanța have risen twice since the beginning of July. At the start of this week, they averaged about $28 per metric ton. Two factors contributed to the price increase: natural conditions and the logic of war.   

The new prime minister, Vasile Tofan, has already indicated that the agri-food sector will be a key focus. Meanwhile, MAIA Minister Radu Musteață has already outlined a list of priorities for the ministry.

Starting in early August, Moldova will see the start of the season for the organized sale of young walnuts in their green shells—through supermarket chains, in consumer-sized packages. Prices for this “niche” product—which is already quite expensive—will not rise compared to last year, as promised by its producers.

Sergey Ivanov, a member of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, reported that he managed to contain a fire near his wheat field in time. In his opinion, the cause was not the hot weather, but an act of arson.

A high-tech irrigation system has been put into operation in the village of Peliney (Kahul District). The project will enable 25 local farmers to irrigate more than 60 hectares of farmland. Construction of the facility cost more than 10 million lei. The majority of this amount came from a grant from the IFAD program.

By August 6, the Ministry of Finance will present a new framework for budget and tax policy for 2027. Prime Minister Vasily Tofan has instructed Finance Minister Victoria Belous to do so.

Tatiana Nistorică, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, who is suspected of corruption, has been dismissed from her post. The decision was made today at a cabinet meeting at the initiative of Minister of Agriculture MAIA Radu Musteață.