OREANDA-NEWS. July 12, 2011. 40% of this volume, if weather conditions are favorable, will account for food wheat with a high gluten content. This projection was voiced by the deputy head of the General Inspection for phytosanitary supervision and seed control Victor Tozlovan at the meeting held by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasilii Bumacov with heads of grain crops receiving enterprises.

Vasilii Bumacov underlined the importance of the good preparation of elevators for reception and storage of grain harvest, saying that the country’s food security depends to a large extent on the enterprises’ readiness degree and that the grain storage subdivisions’ heads are responsible. According to official data of the Ministry of Agriculture, 29 elevators currently have the 78% readiness degree and may receive about 867 thousand tones of grain that is enough for this year harvest.

In 2010, the wheat harvest in Moldova increased by 1.5 percent – to 748 thousand tones, however, only 240 thousand tones accounted for food wheat with high gluten content, the rest being feed wheat. Moldova’s annual food wheat needs are valued at 340 thousand tones.

To provide the country’s food security, the Moldovan government introduced a ban on wheat export in February this year, that was annulled in early May at the IMF’s insistence.