Experts from non-governmental organizations and traders from the Republic of Moldova agree that the statement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry MAIA on the possibility of exporting record 50 000 tonnes of apples this season is “achievable, but unreasonably optimistic.”
In their opinion, the ministerial declaration was caused by two positive facts. Firstly, as has been repeatedly noted at all levels, the European Commission has doubled the quota for the export of Moldovan apples to the EU in the current marketing year – up to 80 000 tonnes. This should be considered an important incentive, primarily psychological. It can also be assumed that the EU authorities and the national governments of some countries also encourage European traders and retailers to cooperate with apple suppliers from Moldova. Secondly, this summer, Moldova exported approximately 2 000 tonnes of apples to Romania every month (while its total export to the European market from Moldova last year amounted to about 1 800 tonnes).
However, since the beginning of autumn, supplies of Moldovan apples to the European Union have dropped sharply. Even if we assume that Moldova will quickly pick up the “summer pace” of apple supplies to Romania in the second half of October and enter other European markets with small volumes, Moldovan traders may be able to export about 20 000 tonnes of apples by next summer. According to experts from farmers’ organizations, this will also be a very good result. Especially if we consider the high harvest of 2022 apples in many European countries, in particular, in Poland, and a low apple harvest in Moldova (according to an optimistic forecast – 480 000 tonnes, according to a pessimistic one – 380 000-400 000 tonnes).
Many horticultural enterprises gathered resources for timely and high-quality harvesting of apples in October, but, according to fruit market players, their storing is going rather slowly. And it is still unclear whether traders will accumulate the previously expected commodity volume of 100 000 tonnes of apples in fruit storages before the winter.
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