Opening Comments for Fourth Greenhouse and Protected Area Cluster Meeting

Conrad Fritsch, Chief of Party, Agribusiness Development Project

It is a great pleasure to provide some opening comments to this fourth in a series of greenhouse cluster meetings sponsored by the Agribusiness Development Project that is funded by USAID and implemented by CNFA. The first Cluster meeting took place in December 2006 and brought together for the first time producers, input suppliers, produce buyers, government officials and research scientists to discuss ways by which the greenhouse fresh produce sector could be reconstituted. The rationale for expanding green house production in Moldova was introduced: Initially it is to reduce the country’s dependence on imported food products and eventually to gain a positive export position. In this meeting, participants had the opportunity, for the first time, to meet and discuss the issues surrounding the rehabilitation of the greenhouse production sector.

Following the same broad industry cluster approach, the 2nd meeting, held in March 2007, introduced production budgets for different greenhouse crops under differing heating technologies and also introduced the idea and cost comparisons of using alternative biomass fuels for winter heating.

The third cluster meeting, held in December 2007, introduced a modular greenhouse design concept, and equipment suppliers were asked to provide cost alternatives for their construction. As a direct result of this meeting several new greenhouses were built. The current meeting will bring you up to date on greenhouse production experiences in neighboring countries to keep you informed on technology they are using, trends, methods of sectoral development, possible partners or linkage. It also addresses modern technologies in growing vegetables using alternative non-soil growing substances and provides further discussion on the processing of agricultural biomass such as grain straw for use as fuel for winter greenhouse heating.

Plastic greenhouses provide an exceptional opportunity for small-scale growers to significantly increase household incomes from protected areas of 300m2 to 500 m2. As a result this approach can contribute to the reduction of off season fresh vegetable imports. For the past year, the Agribusiness Development Project has worked closely with ACSA in implementing a pilot small growers greenhouse and open field demonstration project with participants in almost all raions in Moldova. The results are quite impressive and clearly indicate that Moldovan growers can once again provide sufficient year round fresh vegetables to meet domestic demand.

In closing, I want to wish you success in your discussions and deliberations today.