The first crop of industrial hemp to be grown in Moldova has been planted by farmers since the regulations approved last year.
Moldova is an Eastern European landlocked nation. Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. With an estimated population 2,42 million and an area 33,483km2, the sunny climate of Moldova and its fertile soils has supported an agricultural industry that thrives. Moldova also ranks as one of world’s top wine producers.
Moldova also produces cereals, fruits, and sunflower seeds. In the near future, industrial hemp may also play a major role in Moldova’s agriculture sector. This will bring much needed economic benefits to one of Europe’s poorest nations.
The Standing Committee on Drug Control, under the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AMMD), has recently granted Moldova its first hemp seed and fiber cultivation authorization. One of the first farmers to give hemp a whirl is Ion Sahanovschi from the village of Bălăbănești in Moldovia’s Criuleni district, who has started with a modest 8 hectares, out of the total of 700 hectares he manages.
It’s just a beginning. “We have to test it if we want to find out what its potential is,” Mr. Sahanovschi said (translated).
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry encouraged farmers to take advantage of the new legal framework and to contribute to alternative agricultural branches that can add value to rural economies and create new value chain, said an official. statement from the Ministry (translated).
A farmer who wants to grow hemp as seed, fibre or oil must submit a form to the Standing Committee on Drug Control. He also needs to maintain a record of his harvesting and selling activities. The only varieties allowed are those listed in the Plant Variety Catalog of Moldova or the Common Catalog of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species of European Union, as well as the national catalogues of EU members countries.
Moldovian Premier Dorin Recean said late last year that the opportunity was good for both the farmers and those producing components using industrial hemp.
Over the border, in Ukraine, the country’s very first industrial hemp processor has recently begun commercial operations. Situated in the Zhytomyr region, the project was originally announced in early 2023 – and getting it up and running was no mean feat given the ongoing Russian invasion. The project is expected to have an annual processing capacity of 14, 000 tons of biomass, which will be supplied by the local farmers.