Several decades ago, Moldova was one of the leading regions in the supply of fresh vegetables to the population of the industrial centers of the USSR. Tomatoes accounted for the main share of supplies – about 90 percent. The volume of vegetables shipped outside the republic in 1988 reached 257.6 thousand tons. But by 1996, it had dropped to 1.8 thousand tons.
Over the past three years, the import of carrots has increased sevenfold, onions – fivefold, potatoes – three times. Today, the republic imports potatoes, carrots and onions from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, and tomatoes from Turkey. In the shops you can also see products from other countries, for example, those belonging to the European Union. But there are very few local vegetables on the shelves.
Due to political events, the route of delivery of vegetables from Russia and Belarus now runs through Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. The cost of their transportation has tripled, as a result, agricultural products have become much more expensive. Prices for goods from the European Union are also biting, the demand for which is much lower due to specific taste qualities.
