Japan will offer Moldova US$4.8 million worth of grants for developing conservation agriculture, in particular for purchasing agricultural machines and equipment. Parliament on June 2 adopted a bill to ratify the grant agreement in two readings, IPN reports.

Secretary of State at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry Veaceslav Cernat said the project derives from the agricultural development priorities stipulated in the National Agricultural and Rural Development Strategy for 2014-2020. In particular, the Japanese grant will be used to increase the volume of humus and to conserve soil moisture given that the droughts are rather often in Moldova.

The project will be managed by the 2KR Project Implementation Unit during two years of the coming into force of the agreement.