Japan to support Moldovan farmers with €1.9mn grant

Japan has agreed to give Moldova a €1.9mn grant to support the country’s farmers, Moldova’s state-run news agency reported on Wednesday.

According to Moldpres, the Japanese ambassador to Moldova, Yamada Yoichiro, signed off on the ‘providing farmers with fertilizers’ project alongside the Eastern European nation’s deputy prime minister, foreign minister, and European integration minister.

An official on the Moldovan side was quoted as saying: ‘The agreement that was signed today once again demonstrates the support offered by Japan to develop our country and offset the negative impact of the situation in Ukraine. It strengthens the ability of our agricultural sector, our farmers, to continue to develop and modernize.’

Prior to the outbreak of conflict in neighboring Ukraine, approximately 90% of Moldova’s fertilizer imports were supplied by Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. Since the war began, however, Moldova has been experiencing shortages of key agricultural inputs, which has had a detrimental effect on domestic crop production.