The agricultural producers in central and southern Moldova started to harvest the grains and legumes. About 4,000 combines will be involved in the process, IPN reports.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the harvesting of barley began in the districts of Cahul, Rezina, Ialoveni, and Donduseni. The average productivity per hectare is by 1.3-1.5 tonnes higher than last year, being of 4.7 t/ha in Rezina and 3.66 t/ha in Cahul. The autumn wheat also started to be gathered. In Cahul, the productivity of wheat per hectare is 3.9 tonnes.

Grains were sowed on an area of about 380,500 hectares. Of these, 311,000 hectares are with winter wheat, 8,100 hectares with winter barley, 19,400 hectares with spring barley, 1,000 hectares with spring wheat, while 1,000 hectares are with other crops.

Rape occupies 17,900 hectares, while peas - 7,500 hectares. The area of grains is by 5-5% lower than in 2015.

On the occasion of the harvest, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Eduard Grama visited the farm of Andrei Garlea in Tareuca village of Rezina district. The minister discussed the difficulties met during harvesting with farmers from the region.

Eduard Grama said that this year the global harvest is expected to total about 1 million tonnes of grains, including about 964,000 tonnes of winter wheat.