​BIGGEST MAMALIGA PREPARED IN MOLDOVA

The biggest mamaliga [hominy, Moldovans’ second national important-most food after bread] weighing 550 kg was prepared in Moldova on Thursday at the Corn Festival held in Porumbeni village, Criuleni raion.

“This action is aimed at promoting country’s traditions. Corn is a very important crop for Moldovan economy and its growing comes to new stages of development after the Porumbeni Institute of Plant Growing has overcome the period of decline and started proposing new hybrids of corn”, said Vasile Bumacov, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova, during the ceremony on occasion of the Institute 40th anniversary.

According to him, in Moldova corn is annually planted on over 450 thousand ha. As well as last year, in 2014 the corn crop is very rich and farmers intend to harvest more than 1.5 million tons of seeds. He mentioned that around 50% of corn is consumed in the country and the rest is exported.

Director of the Porumbeni Institute of Plant Growing Pintilie Parvan told journalists that the Institute managed finally to break the deadlock he was facing after the USSR collapse.

“For the first time this year we presented 6 new hybrids of corn at the Ialomita exhibition in Romania. Our hybrids got into the top ten, despite the fact that scientists from all over the world participated in the exhibition”, mentioned Pintilie Parvan.

According to the Director of Institute, the corn seeds, grown in Porumbeni, are highly demanded both in the country and abroad.

First Moldovan President Mircea Snegur said that he personally participated in the opening ceremony of the Porumbeni Institute of Plant Growing 40 years ago.

“These scientific research institutions should be provided assistance and modernized, strengthened for the good of country. We should not forget that for corn accounts almost one half of the total grain production and this crop helps the country developing animal husbandry”, said Snegur.