THE COST OF DROUGHT THIS YEAR- 5 POINTS OF GDP GROWTH IN MOLDOVA.
The president Vladimir Voronin announced this at the press conference on Wednesday, stressing that for 6 months of 2007 GDP growth made 8%, but due to unprecedented drought will decline to about 3% by the end of the year. The President emphasized that this year the most terrible drought, even harsher than the notorious drought of 1946 was registered in Moldova. The economic downturn in agriculture exceeded 30%. Vladimir Voronin expressed gratitude to all States, international organizations, companies, all those who supported Moldova in mollifying consequences of the drought. He also stressed that this year the state has allocated 900 million leis to agriculture. As the result, 85% of squares were sown in autumn or 460 hectares under winter crops. The President noted necessity to upgrade agricultural technologies, specifying that the government has adopted strategy for construction of irrigation systems at the area of 600 hectares of land, required for internal consumption.