OREANDA-NEWS. February 21, 2014. The state will earmark about 35 million lei for the implementation of a programme on conservation and increase of soils’ fertility for 2014-2016. The cabinet of ministers approved an action plan to this effect.

The plan stipulates training of specialists from agriculture, working out digital maps due to include main forms of soils degradation, clearing of degraded multiannual plantations, cleaning of small rivers’ beds, monitoring irrigated lands.

Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Vasile Bumacov said the programme’s goal was to apply measures stopping the degradation and enhancing soils fertility by implementing modern technologies and environmentally friendly agricultural practices.

Studies show that the present situation of Moldovan soils is unsatisfactory on 50 per cent of land and critical on about 10 per cent. The average productivity rate of farmlands is 63, while 178,000 ha are seriously degraded or damaged, with a productivity rate less than 20 points. In these conditions, the annual damage brought to the economy is huge.