Despite the poor grain harvest in 2020 as a result of the drought, the export of food wheat continued in the first quarter of this year, but in slightly smaller volumes than in the same period last year. The main exporter was the Rusagro-Prim group from Cupcini, Edineț district.

Food wheat exports have recently been a subject of scandal, involving the Presidency, the Government, and other state institutions, notes Mold-street.com. While last year export restrictions were mostly unofficial, from the end of March 2021, the Government imposed official restrictions. It is true that these apply only to the export of food wheat from state reserves and for a period of two weeks, which expires on April 12, 2021.

Exports decreased by 30%

Customs data analyzed by Mold-Street.com regarding the export of certain grain categories show that both foreign deliveries of wheat and other grains or oilseeds continued during the pandemic period, although in smaller volumes. Thus, in the first three months of this year, about 89,000 tons of food wheat were exported from the Republic of Moldova (including the Transnistrian region), about 30% less than in the same period last year. The largest quantity was in January - 34,400 tons. In February, exports amounted to 32,750 tons, and in March they fell to 21,820 tons.

The average export price was about 4,500 lei (excluding VAT) per ton, and if we exclude the 240 tons of organic wheat exported by the company Prograin, which has a cost several times higher, then the average price drops to approximately 4,450 lei per ton.

Over 70% of exports were accounted for by five companies

The largest exporter of food wheat during this period was the company Rusagro-Prim SRL from Cupcini, Edineț district, owned by businessman Savvelii Russu. It delivered more than 15,500 tons of food wheat abroad, or about 17.6% of the total amount. Rusagro-Prim is followed by Agro Nova Prim SRL from Chișinău (controlled by Petru Bichir), with a share of 16%, and Rostan Plus SRL from the Transnistrian region, with a share of 15.1%.

In fourth place is another company from Cupcini, Edineț: Biz-Agro SRL, owned by Eduard Hangan, with 11.6% of wheat exports, and in fifth - Demir-Agro SRL from Comrat, Gagauzia, with a share of about 11%. The latter is controlled by Serghei Vlah, a relative of Irina Vlah, the Bashkan of Gagauzia.

Among the most important exporters of food wheat are also the Agrostoc Entrepreneurial Cooperative from Strășeni (an 8.1% share), ML Eximtrans SRL from Căușeni (6.1%), owned by Valentina Schibinschi (70%) and Valeria Horoșilova (30%), and Crist Valg SRL from Logănești, Hîncești (5% of the total), owned by the democrat Vasile Gajiu - 97.19% and Lidia Gajiu - 2.81%.

Where the Moldovan wheat went

Curiously, the TransOil group, controlled by businessman Vaja Jhashi, which is considered the largest exporter of grains and oilseeds from the Republic of Moldova, did not export a single kilogram of wheat during this period.

The main destination for food wheat exports was Greece with a share of 28.3%, followed by Lebanon with 25.1% and Switzerland with 24.9%.

Top 5 countries where wheat was exported

• Greece – 28.3% or 24,955 tons,
• Lebanon – 25.1% or 22,136 tons
• Switzerland – 24.9% or 21,972 tons,
• Turkey – 5.7% or 5,013 tons,
• Cyprus – 4.9% or 4,330 tons.

We mention that the export of wheat from the Republic of Moldova continues even now, the ban being only on that from the state reserves.