Demonstration Plots Help Farmers Increase Their Profits

Ion Ambrosie proudly shows his tomatoes ready to hit the market the following morning. March 11, 2009. With USAID/ADP support small-scale vegetable producers from Moldova increase farm income by adopting modern and innovative production. Challenge Moldova is importing 95% of fresh vegetables consumed out of season – in late fall, winter and spring.  Even during the season, supply and prices vary from year to year, depending on weather conditions, as most local producers grow vegetables in open field and often without irrigation or with the wrong type of irrigation. Last year the farmer Ion Ambrosie from Tintareni village in Orhei raion produced vegetables in open field on 1,5 ha of land.  Since his tomatoes ripened at the same time as most of his neighbors he received the lowest prices – in the middle of the harvesting season.  The summer of 2007 was one of the driest and hottest in the last 50 years and he needed a lot of water to irrigate his crops, using sprinkler irrigation.  Because of the direct sun and high temperatures, sprinkler irrigation reduced the quality of his produce.   Initiative The Agribusiness Development Project, financed by USAID and implemented by CNFA Inc.  signed in 2008 a sub contract with The Moldovan National Agency for Rural Development (ACSA) to implement a two year small scale grower demonstration project.  The Project objective is to demonstrate the potential for small scale Moldovan growers to increase farm income and ultimately contribute to expanded rural development by adopting modern and innovative production, post harvest and marketing technologies. Ion Ambrosie was one of 100 beneficiaries of the project.  His plan was to invest in building two greenhouses and he received a $2,000 matching grant for a drip irrigation system and clamps that are used to attach the plastic cover. "Many think that these plastic clamps are a joke, but earlier I used wood and nails instead.  I needed 3 days each year to make and install them and at the end of the year they ruined my PVC by putting holes in it," says Ion. Results Ion Ambrosie built two adjoining greenhouses near his home in Tintareni and implemented a drip irrigation system that is very efficient in distributing water to all plants and uses less water and energy than the sprinkler irrigation system "This year I get the same quantity of tomatoes from my 400 square meter greenhouses than I did from 1.5 hectares of open field production, but with better quality and much a better price," says Ion Ambrosie.   In order to promote the use of modern technology, ACSA organized seminars and demonstrations at beneficiaries’ fields, which are attended by interested farmers and mass-media representatives.  By end of June, 82 field visits were held and attended by 2,147 interested farmers.   "I always invite interested people from my village to see how my business is going," says Ion Ambrosie, "Why?  Because I am very interested to have at least five other producers like me in the village.  We could then use a single truck to send products to markets in Chisinau and Balti and we would cooperate in buying input materials and bargain for a better price." "I am very interested to have at least five other producers like me in the village.  We could then use a single truck to send products to market," says Ion Ambrosie.

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