The war in Ukraine has cut off the trade route between Moldova and Russia, which means that Moldovan apple growers are turning to new markets.
Eastern exports have effectively been blocked since Russia invaded Ukraine, a development that has had severe consequences for Moldova’s apple growers. Producers in Moldova collect on average about 450,000 tons of apples annually and export 250,000 tons (a business worth about €105 million per year).
Last year’s harvest was 650,000 tons according to official statistics, making 2021 Moldova’s best year in apple production since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Additionally, it’s not just exports that are posing a problem: local apple growers are also struggling to afford fertilizers imported from Russia, with experts estimating that prices have almost tripled since the start of the war.
Source: theparliamentmagazine.eu