OREANDA-NEWS.  January 31, 2012. The export of Moldovan alcoholic beverages to the European Union within the Autonomous Trade Preferences increased by 59,400 hectolitres in 2011 against the year before.

As much as 139,400 hectolitres of wine were exported in all, which accounts for 92.9 per cent of the quota set by the EU, according to the Economics Ministry's information and media communication service.

More than 65 per cent of these exports went to Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania. In 2011, the EU increased the quota for Moldovan alcoholic production from 100,000 to 150,000 hectolitres.

On his period, the Licencing Chamber issued 1,420 authorizations for the export of wheat, barley, maize, white sugar and wines to the EU.

The export of maize went up by 5,000 tons against 2010, with the 30,000-ton quota being fully used. The main destinations of the maize export were Greece, Italy and Cyprus.

The EU's quota for wheat was 40,000 tons. It was turned to account at 67.6 per cent, with the export of wheat dropping by 7,340 tons against 2010. The same tendency of export's decrease was recorded for barley, with the country exporting only 8,819 tons of the 35,000 tons allowed. The decrease in exports of wheat and barley to the EU was prompted by the low prices for these goods on the European market. Most wheat and barley were exported to Italy.

Only 36.3 per cent of the sugar quotas were used, with Moldova shipping only 9,439 tons instead of 26,000 tons. The reason for this was the poor harvest of sugar beet.

Despite the decreasing tendencies, the Economics Ministry announced higher quotas for exports to the EU in 2012. Thus, the quota for Moldovan wines will grow from 150,000 to 180,000 hectolitres, for barley from 35,000 to 45,000 tons, maize from 30,000 to 40,000 tons, wheat from 40,000 to 50,000 tons, and sugar from 26,000 to 34,000 tons.