OREANDA-NEWS. June 18, 2013. The Moldovan Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry launched the first round of public talks on the draft of the Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development in Moldova for 2014-2020. The debates were held in Costesti village, Ialoveni district and were attended by the ministry’s officials, farmers as well as local public servants from central Moldovan districts.

“We need this document in order to start talks with the World Bank and other external investors,” Agriculture Minister Vasile Bumacov said. He added that it was necessary that all actors participated in the implementation of the strategy, comparing it with the Strategy for the country’s development for 2020.

For his part, Deputy Agriculture Mininister Viorel Gutu said the Moldovan agriculture continued to generate more exports than imports. He noted that Moldovan farmers must overcome a string of wrong economic and technical approaches in order to achieve a better work productivity in the sector.

The draft of the Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development in Moldova provides for an increase in competitiveness and aims at ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and improving life standards in Moldovan villages.

Similar public talks will be held in Moldova's northern and southern areas this month. Officials of the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry hope that the draft would be approved by the government this spring, so that the parliament could adopt it during its autumn session.