Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks Moldovan apples have officially made their debut on the Indian market marking a significant milestone for the fruit industry in the Republic of Moldova The first commercial delivery happened on March 19 following extensive efforts to open the market and collaboration between authorities and the Moldova Fruct Association highlighted that the approval of Moldovan apples for the Indian market is a significant achievement and a testament to the strong bilateral ties between Moldova and India: "This is an important step for our agricultural sector and trade We deeply appreciate the support and cooperation of the Indian authorities in making this possible I look forward to seeing Moldovan apples enjoyed by Indian consumers." it seemed impossible to get our apples so far but here we have the first producer and the first commercial batch of apples ready for the road but we succeeded together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our producers – they all contributed to this success but a huge opportunity for the horticultural sector higher incomes for producers," said Vasile Șarban State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry executive director of the Moldova Fruct Association offers a significant opportunity for Moldovan apple producers due to the high demand for quality fruits: "The expansion of exports to India diversifies the target markets and contributes to the stability of the horticultural sector An important advantage for Moldovan apple producers is the possibility to deliver them immediately after harvest maintaining a constant level of quality and increasing exported volumes will be essential for strengthening Moldova's position on the Indian market." Fruct Grup SRL delivered about 260 tons of apples in the trial batch on the Indian market describes the process of exporting their apples to India: "Before taking the road to India the Moldovan apples of the Red Chief variety The boxes are labeled according to the requirements of the country of import with the reference data of the product palletized The truck from Bilicenii Vechi in 3-4 days will arrive in Istanbul from where the apples will be loaded onto the ship bound for the port of Mumbai The route will be covered in 30 maximum of 60 days during which the apples will be kept at a temperature of 1 degree Celsius." India is a promising market for both the present and the future Although it is one of the world's largest producing countries an expert on imports into India emphasizes it is also one of the world's largest consumers which favors its success in the Indian market My advice to Moldovan producers is not to compromise on quality The Indian market is looking for continuous and high-quality deliveries over the long term and the basic requirements are high firmness and correct harvesting to ensure the perfect combination of firmness and brix." India imported more than 460 thousand tons of apples from Turkey South Africa and other countries of the world We are happy that following the joint efforts of the Government of the Republic of Moldova the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry the Republic of Moldova was officially approved for the export of apples to India on February 21 "The decision was preceded by trial deliveries carried out under the supervision of National Food Safety Agency during which 340 tons of apples have been exported since 2023 demonstrating the compliance of Moldovan products with Indian phytosanitary regulations." For more information:Iurie Fala (CEO)Moldova FructTel: +373 222 23 005Mob: +373 693 66 424[email protected] www.moldovafruct.md Frontpage photo: © APEF Moldova Fruct FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 FreshPlaza.com You don't have permissions to access this page A warehouse in Moldova is piled high with crates of red apples but for an industry reeling from war in neighbouring Ukraine The conflict has all but ended apple exports to Russia traditionally the main buyer of produce from Moldova's orchards "I don't know what we are going to do with the apples that are left over," admits grower Valeriu Matcovschi "There are too many for us to sell on the Moldovan market," he says in the northern village of Bilicenii-Vechi lorries would arrive at least five times a week to take his 2,000-tonne yearly harvest to Russia Now he is scrambling to find new customers In late March he sent a first shipment to Kuwait but he had to slash his prices by a third and accommodate clients with different demands about which varieties of apple they will take "I hope I won't have to start pulping the fruit Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe The former Soviet republic of around 2.6 million people is sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania senior government official Dumitru Udrea told AFP More than 360,000 Ukrainians have fled into Moldova since the start of Russia's invasion The vast majority have travelled on elsewhere already rising but now exacerbated by the war could push inflation to 30 percent by the end of the year Udrea fears the effects of the war mean that "in 2022 we could see a recession of between three and 15 percent" whose gross domestic product (GDP) is 0.4 percent that of Britain's was already struggling to recover from a string of political and economic crises These came on top of a 2014-15 banking scandal that led to the disappearance of around one billion dollars (911 million euros) Responding to desperate appeals from Moldova -- which formally asked to begin the process of joining the EU at the beginning of March -- Germany France and Romania are holding a donors' conference in Berlin on Tuesday to help lighten the load Udrea says the government hopes for four billion euros from donors to boost energy security and protect Moldovans' purchasing power Thanks in part to a 2014 association agreement with the EU -- which drew the ire of Moscow -- trade with countries to its west now accounts for more than 60 percent of Moldova's total foreign trade But some traditional economic ties with Russia Ukraine and Belarus have been less easy to replace "At first sight the share of exports to these countries -- 15 percent -- doesn't seem huge but several sectors are very dependent on it above all apple growers," economist Adrian Lupusor Construction and agriculture are dependent on materials shipped from Russia and Ukraine "Even if importers find suppliers elsewhere the prices will be much higher," Lupusor says Udrea says the war could also see a plunge in the vital remittances sent back to Moldova by the more than one million people who have emigrated over the past 20 years That stream of income is a lifeline for many who remain in the country and represents some 15 percent of GDP Lupusor says that some of the 300,000 or so Moldovans working in Russia may decide to come back putting the labour market and social security system under fresh pressure as workers sort shiny apples and forklift trucks trundle around him Matcovschi worries for the future of the 50 or so people he employs