33 Kubota M6-131 tractors, purchased within the “Modernization of Agricultural Machinery and Equipment” (MAME) project, supported by the Government of Japan, were received by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. They will be offered to the beneficiaries at a competitive price, through installment sale agreements, IPN reports.

Also today, the Supplying Farmers with Fertilizers project supported by the Government of Japan, was launched. It includes the distribution of approximately 2,000 tonnes of NPK fertilizers at a preferential price.

Japan’s Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova Yoichiro Yamada said that the tractors are supplied within the last tranche of the loan agreement signed on June 20, 2020 between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to the value of US$20 million at the 2020 exchange rate. As a result of this agreement, 72 smaller tractors and a number of post-harvest machines were already supplied from Japan to Moldova. Prior to this agreement, since 2000, Japan has supported Moldova’s agriculture and provided more than 600 tractors.

The ambassador regretted that the recent heat wave caused damage to farmers, especially in the south of the country. “My heart goes out to the affected farmers,” said Yoichiro Yamada. The diplomat also referred to the geopolitical risks, which accentuate the risks faced by farmers. Yoichiro Yamada referred to the ban on exporting fruit to Russia, in response to Moldova’s condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Maxim Popov, executive director of the Agency for the Development and Modernization of Agriculture, said that thanks to the project, the Moldovan farmers can make use of cheap financial instruments.

Within the project “Modernization of Agricultural Machinery and Equipment”, 260 farmers were financed to purchase 450 pieces of agricultural machines and equipment, 160 tractors, 21 combine harvesters.