Nord-Fruct Association members, cultivating commercial apple orchards in northern Moldova, are demanding from Iurie Leanca Government compensations for the lost Russian market.

 

Association Secretary Veaceslav Valco told a news conference at Infotag on Tuesday that the price of the question is 50 million lei.

 

“We mean the category of ‘summer apples’, which the association members delivered for processing to canned food factories at a price agreed upon with the Government – 1.5 lei (some 10 US cents) per a kilogram. Those apples were supplied to canneries before September 30. But 150 association members have not received their money until now. In due time, when we organized a march on tractors to Chisinau to manifest our indignation about the ruining of economic ties with Russia by the incumbent authorities, Premier Iurie Leanca rushed to Balti city to intercept us. Leanca and his agriculture minister Vasile Bumacov swore solemnly that the money would necessarily come. Now our apples have gone, but the money would not come. The Government does not particularly care”, believes Veaceslav Valco.

 

He maintained that the apple growers’ demands may not be regarded as something political – absolutely.

 

“We have exclusively economic relations with our partner in the person of the Government of Moldova. Apple growers have been bringing money to the Moldovan State Budget accurately last 20 years, paying taxes and developing the Russian market. Then, the Moldovan authorities decided to change, without even notifying us, their relations with one of the main foreign partners – Russia, and have deprived us from the main market for our produce. Now we have the right to demand from our rulers a compensation of our losses and the finding of new markets. The Government promised to repay the money and find new markets – in Romania and Algeria. But there are neither money nor new markets”, stated Valco.

 

“The Government says there is no money at hand. We finger at a possible way out – open the National Bank’s moneybox. At a recent meeting with horticulturists in Chisinau, National Bank president confirmed that the central bank really has such a resource – US$2.5 billion. So, let’s solve this problem. Look, creditors from private commercial banks come to farmers, knock at their doors and demand credits back”, said the association secretary.

 

Valco promised that the horticulturists’ demands will be handed in to Premier Leanca personally this week.

 

He also said, “We demand public apologies from Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov who, speaking on television, named northern Moldovan farmers, who had come for a reception to him, “political ragamuffins”. We are defending our economic interests – nothing more. We still hope that by November 20, all monetary settlements will have been accomplished with this outgoing Government. We shall achieve our goal yet before the parliamentary elections because after November 30 there may well be nobody to address to concerning the repayment of arrears to us”.

 

Veaceslav Valco confirmed that he is the 9th in the election ticket of the voting bloc “Moldova’s Choice is the Customs Union”.