In the current year sunflower seed production in Moldova will total over 500 thsd tonnes and exceed the last year level, announced Vasile Bumakov, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova.
He noted that farmers do not have any problems with sale of the oilseed, because sunflower seed and sunflower oil are always in demand, and form a quarter of agricultural commodity exports from the country. According to him, Moldova exports one quarter of the oilseed to the CIS countries, a quarter - to the EU, and the remaining volumes - to other countries. 93% of sunflower oil volumes are supplied to the EU, said the Minister.
According to him, each year the planted areas under sunflower seed total nearly 300 thsd ha, which is the maximum index for the oilseed, because in the case of expansion of the areas, there is a danger of soil depletion. Therefore, agrarians plan to increase the yield indices, by growing new high-productive sunflower seed varieties without expanding the planted areas, said V.Bumakov.
According to the Ministry, in 2014 the exports of sunflower and sunflower oil reached the level of 126 mln USD.
