High Value Agriculture Activity Report

The project focuses on four main objectives: expanding and strengthening linkages to domestic, regional, and international markets; improving productivity, post-harvest handling, and private sector capacity to comply with EU and international standards; strengthening capacities of member-based groups; and improving the enabling environment leading to increased investments and an improved workforce. During the quarter of April to June 2021, the project and its partners organized 124 events, gathering 1,174 participants from 552 unique organizations. Women constituted 28.3 percent of participants, and 37.5 percent were youth. The project's efforts to improve marketing and sales skills among businesses have shown positive results, with professionals from 58 companies graduating from the HVAA/Moldovan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Export Academy. The project has also partnered with the Moldova Fruct Association (MFA) to launch business English courses and scale trainings as part of the HVAA/MFA Women's Network. Virtual Business to Business (B2B) events were held, utilizing virtual tour technology, which led to in-person visits from European buyers who either contracted or expressed serious interest to begin supply programs. The project has also made significant progress in improving post-harvest and packing technologies, with over 70 Global Good Agricultural Practice (GLOBALG.A.P.) certifications and the introduction of new flow-pack lines. This has allowed Moldovan exporters to ship high-quality products to the European Union and the United Kingdom. HVAA has also aligned and supplemented the Office of Vine and Wine's (ONVV) marketing initiatives by sponsoring small boutique wineries at international competitions. Moldovan wines have won 708 medals at 14 international competitions in 2021, over 40 percent of which are gold medals. The project has promoted quality upgrades and compliance with international standards by delivering an Advanced GLOBALG.A.P. & GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP) Implementation Training for 12 quality and food safety managers. An e-Learning platform was developed to host the National Food Safety Agency's (ANSA) "Sustainable Use of Pesticides" training course. The project has also worked on the testing and registration of more than 30 improved fruit varieties and rootstocks in Moldova's Catalogue of Plant Varieties. A workshop was led for government officials to better understand international best practices. The project's berry nursery grantee yielded its first planting material, which boasted transplant survival of 99 percent. HVAA has supported Dniestr Fruit Association to deliver trainings and field days on intensive stone fruit and grape production and post-harvest handling. The project has also organized a study tour that brought 15 Transnistrian farmers and teachers to a HVAA grantee in southern Moldova to observe pergola trellising. The project's efforts to improve the competitiveness of Moldova's agricultural sector have shown positive results, with significant progress made in improving marketing and sales skills, post-harvest and packing technologies, and quality upgrades and compliance with international standards.