European Commissioner Christophe Hansen: "The agri-food sector in the Republic of Moldova has a lot to offer the European Union"
The agri-food sector in the Republic of Moldova has significant potential for the European Union market, and it is crucial for it to become as competitive as possible. This perspective was shared by European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, during his first official visit to our country on Monday, September 1. He noted that Moldovan fruits and wine are already well-known and highly regarded in the EU market.
Upon arriving in our country, the European Commissioner for Agriculture visited Ștefan Vodă, where he met with entrepreneur Ion Tulei. Tulei exports a variety of fruits, including apples, cherries, plums, apricots, nectarines, and peaches, to the European Union market. With the help of a favorable loan from the European Investment Bank, he modernized his production facilities. Today, 80% of his produce is exported to Romania, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Spain, and even the United Arab Emirates.
“Certainly, everything that has been accomplished, including subsidies and participation in various European and American programs, has been essential. We need additional tools. Recently, especially in our region, including Ștefan Vodă and Căușeni, it has become clear that without irrigation, it is absolutely impossible to cultivate any crops, not just orchards,” Tulei stated.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture acknowledged the development potential of the Moldovan agri-food sector. “I come from a country that is even smaller than the Republic of Moldova, which was very poor after World War II but has prospered thanks to the European Union. I believe that the Republic of Moldova has much to gain by following a similar path. It’s crucial to raise awareness of the Republic of Moldova in other parts of the European Union and beyond. The agri-food sector here has a lot to offer,” said Christophe Hansen, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food.
On the first day of his visit to our country, the Commissioner also toured one of the first wineries to promote wine tourism in the south, where he learned about the family behind the wine production. The following day, he is scheduled to visit Criuleni.
