The Water Users’ Associations held in February 2015 ordinary General

Assemblies to elect or reconfirm the membership of their boards and decide on

their term of office. Moreover, they suggested or approved amendments to own

statutes and set the water tariff for WUA members and non-members.

According to the WUAs’ statutes, the members will pay a smaller price for the

water used to irrigate compared to the price to be paid by non-members.

The owners of lands in the areas of the irrigation systems, who are WUA

members, said that irrigation is critical for their businesses. „The water price is

smaller than the one we paid when we used the old systems. I grow corn on a

0.5 ha of farmland in the irrigated area. Once there is water for irrigation, we

intend to grow potatoes, carrot or cabbage instead”, Natalia Platon, agricultural

producer from the Puhaceni village, Anenii Noi, says.

Valentina Slanina, another producer from Puhaceni, claims that after she tried to

grow water melon and carrot without irrigation she understood that growing

vegetables without water is not possible. “We pay the WUA membership fees

and are looking forward to being able to irrigate this summer”, she says.

”I own a land plot outside the irrigation area. I am aware, however, that an

orchard needs irrigating. I have become a member of WUA Criuleni and a

member of the administration board. I will connect to the water pipe and build a

reservoir to irrigate my orchard. I pay the membership fees on time, because I

hope for a better future and I am aware that this is how we can make our WUA

"COMPACT seeks to

contribute to poverty

reduction in the Republic of Moldova

through economic growth"

Newsletter, February, 2015

HEADING FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH

Compact Moldova

str. N. Iorga, 21, MD-2012;

mun. Chişinău, Republica Moldova;

tel.: +373 22 85 22 99;

fax: +373 22 85 22 94; e-mail:

office@mca.gov.md;

www.mca.gov.md

WUAs held general assemblies to plan activities for 2015 and set the water tariff

2

and irrigation system sustainable. Due to irrigation

we will have twice or three times more harvest –

this is the future of agriculture”, Petru Balan,

agricultural producer from Criuleni, believes.

The general assemblies set the amount of the

membership fee and the water price for irrigation

that differs from one WUA to another. The

members of the WUA Puhaceni, for instance, will

pay 2.2 MDL for a cubic meter of water, while the

members of Jorile WUA – 3 MDL and the

members of the Criuleni WUA – 2.82. The water

price depends on the membership fees collected by

WUAs and the incomes received by WUA from

water supply.

In the upcoming period, WUAs will set the water

supply schedule and apply for the governmental

subsidies for irrigation of farmland.

WUAs were established with the support of the

Millennium Challenge Account Moldova to

manage the 10 irrigation systems rehabilitated with

Compact funds. Altogether they have more than 7

thousand members, 2 700 of which are women.

The WUA members received training in WUA

management and modern technologies of growing

high value products. These skills will help farmers

manage efficiently the renovated irrigation systems

and WUAs. On the other hand, WUAs will have

appropriate equipment to manage the irrigation

systems, such as water meters and mobile pumps,

small equipment to maintain the new systems and

others.

The farmers from the areas of the Criuleni and

Lopatna irrigation systems put into operation at the

end of 2014 will start irrigating already this year,

while Puhaceni and Blindesti irrigation systems

expected to be put into operation this spring will

allow for irrigation in the agricultural season. The

other irrigation systems, such as Jora de Jos,

Cosnita, Roscani, Grozesti, Leova and Chircani-

Zirnesti, will have been put into operation by July

2015.

3

Last December Samiral SRL from the Criuleni

rayon shipped 40 tons of apples to Bangladesh. It

took five weeks and about 8 thousand km for the

Moldovan apples to reach the destination.

The Jonagold and Golden apples have been

received in good condition, the buyer in Chittagong

city says. Jonagold were sold within three days of

arrival and the buyer requested ten more loads of

red apples.

The producer is preparing a third container, while

the exporting company Mobile SRL, which

assembled the first shipment, is looking for more

apple producers to contribute to the shipment in

order to cope with the demand.

Bangladesh customers say they could take about 2

thousand tons of apples this season. Bangladesh, a

nation in Asia bordering India and China, has a

population of 166 million people.

It should be noted that the Moldovan producer

applied for Compact loans to procure fruit sorting

equipment and develop this business.

The shipment of fruits to Bangladesh was

facilitated by the Agricultural Competitiveness and

Enterprise Development Program (ACED), a

USAID and MCC jointly funded program.

A fruit producer from Criuleni exports apples to Bangladesh

4

A group of agricultural producers have recently

returned from the international GulFood tradeshow

held from February 8 to 12 in Dubai. The farmers

displayed their products on a 57 m2 area with the

Taste makes the difference moto, supported by

ACED – a project jointly funded by USAID and

the Millennium Challenge Corporation. This event

was a major opportunity to show different

agricultural products from Moldova to the market

in the Middle East.

The Moldovan farmers displayed fresh and canned

vegetables and fruits and juices. Although the

quality and safety requirements on the Gulf market

are high it is an excellent destination for high-end

products, as well as for more cost-sensitive

products, which can be used as food ingredients.

The main objectives of participation in the

GulFood trade show is to once again promote

Moldovan agricultural and food products in the

Middle Eastern regional market and establish trade

linkages with potential buyers. Another objective

of participation in this trade show was to visit the

Al Aweer wholesale market. During participation

in the event the Moldovan delegation met

important stakeholders in fruit business. The

members of the delegation made an exchange of

views with agro-producers, trade experts and other

representatives of the trade and producing

companies present at the exhibition.

Important contacts have been established between

the Moldovan producers and foreign buyers at the

Moldovan stand. The buyers were from UAE and

neighboring countries, but also from non-

traditional for Moldova export markets, like

Bangladesh and Egypt. New contacts were

established with potential buyers from India,

Jordan and Sri-Lanka. It is important to mention

that the Moldovan producers have been negotiating

with the big importer Abdulla Al Khattal & Zayed

(AAK), which could materialize in big sales to the

region (UAE, Qatar, India and Oman). Of great

interest for participants was the logistics

component to allow them to bring the products to

the region. In that respect, they learned about the

offers of the logistic companies and also precious

innovative information on modern ways of fruit

packaging, sorting and handling.

The Moldovan farmers are interested in exporting to the Middle East

5

Unique archaeological vestiges dating from the

Roman Empire era have been discovered during

the rehabilitation works at the Blindesti irrigation

system in the Ungheni rayon supported by the

Millennium Challenge Compact.

While excavating trenches for pipes workers found

a human skeleton, finery and other things.

According to Vlad Vornic, director of the National

Archaeological Agency (NAA), those bones and

things date from the Roman Empire era, second

century AD. He added that there is a jewel that is

unique in Moldova due to the manufacturing

technique and the iron used to make it. It is a

golden ear-ring with an amphora-like element and

decorated with chains. All this is Roman

influences.

Archaeologists are studying the findings and plan

to expand the research area in order to add new

details to the national heritage about the life and

work of the prehistoric human settlements that

populated these territories. Jewelry of this kind was

specific to the Roman artifacts dating the first-

second century AD with Greek and Eastern

influences due to the expansion of the Roman

Empire. As a rule, jewelry like ear-rings and

bracelets were worn by the Roman noblemen only.

”Finds dating from the Roman era are very rare in

the area between Prut and Nistru and no such

findings have been made for the past 30 years. This

is a unique finding not just for Moldova. Similar

remains could be possibly found in the eastern

Ukraine. After a deep study of the remains and

relevant literature we will be able to find out more

about them. Undoubtedly, however, they have an

exceptional value for the national heritage”, Mr.

Vornic said. According to him the finds will be

displayed at the National History Museum.

The archaeological excavations carried out in 2013

and 2014 with the MCA Moldova’s support

revealed critical vestiges belonging to the

Cucuteni-Trypillian culture and dating about 7

thousand years ago.

The Blindesti irrigation system is one of the 10

systems rehabilitated with the U.S. Government’s

Compact support. It covers about 580 hectares. The

rehabilitation works include renovation of three

pump stations and installation of 13 modern

pumps, replacement of the old networks of pipes

with new iron and polyethylene pipes, installation

of modern equipment and others.

New archaeological vestiges found on the Compact sites enrich the national heritage

6

In spite of the challenges they face, the Moldovan

entrepreneurs don’t hesitate to start new farming

businesses. One of them is Mr. Petru Balan from

Criuleni, who decided to plant in the autumn of

2014 a sweet cherry and a cherry orchard on 5

hectares each.

”Moldova is a farming country and agriculture is

still a sector that employs most of our people. I

have decided to invest in this sector in spite of all

risks and challenges. I own 30 hectares of land.

Last autumn I planted sweet cherry and cherry

trees on 5 hectares each and in the upcoming

period I am going to plant apple trees on 15

hectares”, Mr. Balan says.

Fruit production is something new for the

entrepreneur from Criuleni. In the past he provided

milling services, but he decided to diversify his

business. What made him plant an orchard was the

possibility to irrigate offered by the rehabilitation

of the Criuleni irrigation system - one of the 10

irrigation systems renovated with the Compact

investments amounting to about 80 million USD.

The rehabilitation of the Criuleni system cost about

4.7 million USD and the renovated system will

supply water to 778 hectares. Today about 900

people own lands in the area of the irrigation

system; about 400 of them are members of the

Water Users’ Association Criuleni.

”I own a land plot outside the irrigation area. I am

aware, however, that an orchard needs irrigating. I

have become a member of WUA Criuleni and a

member of its board. I will connect to the water

pipe and build a reservoir to irrigate my orchard. I

pay the membership fees on time, because I hope

for a better future and I am aware that this is how

we can make our WUA and irrigation system

sustainable. Due to irrigation we will have two or

three times bigger harvest – this is the future of

agriculture”, the agricultural producer adds. This

year he plans to irrigate 25 hectares.

Mr. Balan will sell his products in Russia and on

the UE market, which opens new opportunities for

the Moldovan producers. He intends to fully

comply with all the production requirements to

have quality and competitive products. In future he

plans to build a cold storage with a sorting and

packing line.

”The farmers in the area of the Criuleni system are

very well aware of the benefits of irrigation and the

value added of irrigation for farming. I am sure

they will invest in planting high value orchards and

growing high value products, relying on quality

and cheap irrigation services”, the farmer

concludes.

Petru Balan: ”Due to irrigation we will have two or three times bigger harvest”

7

The Millennium Challenge Account Moldova

(MCA Moldova) in partnership with the local

governments is holding public meetings in the

Floresti, Soroca and Telenesti rayonal centers, as

well as in the communities along the Sarateni-

Soroca road, to urge the people to have a

responsible approach to the road infrastructure

rehabilitated with the U.S. Government’s Compact

support.

The need for such public meetings has occurred

after road signs and bus stations were vandalized

and bulbs stolen along the Sarateni-Soroca road.

Valentina Badrajan, executive director of MCA

Moldova, said that after the rehabilitated road was

inaugurated in October 2014, 19 bulbs were stolen

and more than 30 road signs were vandalized.

These cases threaten road safety and appearance.

The public meetings will put emphasis on the need

to detect and punish offenders and prevent such

cases from happening.

According to Leslie McCuaig, country resident

director of the Millennium Challenge Corporation

(MCC), MCC considers the Sarateni-Soroca road

to be the best road of all the roads rehabilitated in

more than 20 countries where it implements

compacts. While this road was modernized with

the support of the American people, the Moldovan

people can show their gratitude by maintaining it

properly, she stressed.

At one of these meetings Victor Sau, the head of

the Soroca rayon, stressed that the participation of

mayors of the localities crossed by the Sarateni-

Soroca road will increase the responsibility of all

these communities for road infrastructure

maintenance.

”I would like to urge all the mayors and secretaries

of mayoralties to be proactive and monitor

maintenance of the rehabilitated road. You should

focus not just on cases of vandalism and thefts, but

also on prevention of other irregularities. The

movement of tracked dumpers, storage of corn,

construction materials and logs and clogging of

drainage channels that threatens road safety is

prohibited. You should keep talking to people and

reminding them that they will be held accountable

for their deeds”, Mr. Sau said.

Valentin Calenicenco, the deputy head of the

Police Inspectorate Soroca, on the other hand,

assured the participants that besides the two

vandals who were detected in Volovita, the other

misdemeanants will also be found soon. To prevent

other situations of this kind, police officers will

make regular raids along the road and arrange

meetings with the people, including the young

people who go to the schools in this area.

Participants in the meetings held by MCA

Moldova are village mayors, employees of the

General Police Inspectorate, directors of education

institutions and villagers. The purpose of the

meetings is to inform the people about the road

rehabilitation efforts and the total investments of

the U.S. Government in the rehabilitation of the

Sarateni-Soroca road and its infrastructure that

MCA Moldova advocates for a responsible attitude to road infrastructure

8

amount to about 100 million USD. On the other

hand, the participants talk about the possibilities to

increase the responsibility of communities and

careful handling of road infrastructure.

Simion Zdragus, mayor of the Stefanesti village,

Floresti rayon, admitted that in 2010 he did not

The MCA Moldova’s Consultative Group met on

February 25 to discuss the MCA Moldova’s

performance last year and the activities scheduled

for the upcoming period.

The meeting agenda included the rehabilitation

status of the Sarateni-Soroca road and irrigation

systems, as well as the performance of the Credit

Facility implemented by the MCA Moldova. The

entity’s management briefed the CG members on

its achievements and the challenges that have

arisen during the implementation of activities.

”MCA Moldova is grateful to the CG members for

recommendations, constructive criticism and

discussions during 2014. Due to their inputs MCA

Moldova carried out critical activities such as

Credit Facility outreach and training that was

delivered by ACED project to the farmers

believe that the Sarateni-Soroca road will be

rehabilitated and that today it is an excellent road

that looks exactly like the roads abroad

According to the official data, about 530 road signs

and other road installations were stolen and

damaged across the country in 2014.

operating in the areas of the irrigation systems”,

said Valentina Badrajan, Executive Director of

MCA Moldova, in her opening speech. Another

issue raised during the meeting was the damage

and thefts reported along the Sarateni-Soroca road

at the end of last year and beginning of this year. In

an exchange of opinions, the CG members

suggested scaling up the awareness-raising efforts

and notifying the law-enforcement institutions to

detect the offenders.

Another agreed suggestion was to put in place a

viable mechanism for the handover, supervision

and safety of irrigation systems.

On the other hand, the CG approved the issues that

will underpin this year’s performance of MCA

Moldova and encouraged the MCA Moldova team

to continue the transparency efforts.

Civil society makes recommendations for successful Compact closeout

9

MCA Moldova continues collection of primary

data to be further used to evaluate the impact of the

Transition to High Value Agriculture project

according to the procedures of the Millennium

Challenge Corporation.

The Compact evaluation will rely on two

complementary evaluation components.

The first is an impact evaluation, which will

compare the changes in outcomes over time in

areas in which these activities are being

implemented with similar areas in which they are

not being implemented. It will draw primarily on

quantitative and quality data collected from farm

operators in 2013–2014 (before the completion of

the Compact activities), as well as in 2018–2019

and 2020–2021 (several years after the end of the

Compact).

The second component is a performance evaluation

of the Compact with a focus on the Transition to

High Value Agriculture project. This evaluation

will draw primarily on qualitative data collected in

2014-2015. The collection of primary data

necessary for 2014-2015 performance evaluation

round started early January 2015 through

interviews with about 2.5 thousand agricultural

producers in the areas covered by the Transition to

High Value Agriculture project.

MCA Moldova also held focus-groups and

interviews to determine the agricultural producers’

perception of the changes triggered by the

Compact activities. Additionally, representatives of

Water Users’ Associations, local governments,

participants in trainings delivered in the

rehabilitation areas were interviewed.

On the other hand, MCA Moldova will also

analyze the data provided by the beneficiaries of

Compact loans. All the data received from

different sources will be further used to gain a full

understanding of the project implementation

process, achievements and lessons learned.

MCA Moldova is collecting data for the evaluation of the efficiency of

activities supporting the transition to high value agriculture