OREANDA-NEWS. September 27, 2013. The festival is organized by the Agriculture of Moldova and the district council of Soroca. The program of the festival includes the parade of apple growers marching down the central square of Soroca, the musical show “In the Apple Garden”, show of apples, exhibition of agricultural machines used to care of apple orchards, culinary competitions, the concert, etc. Guests of the festival are going to be offered a great variety of apples to buy.

Let’s remind that Parliament established the National Apple Festival at a proposal of the government to encourage apple growing in Moldova. Establishing the National Apple Festival is expected to stir a deeper cooperation among growers, processers and exporters of apples, increase confidence between participants of the apple market, facilitate adoption of new technologies, conclusion of large apple supply contracts, joint investments in the post-harvesting infrastructure and make the mass production of apples profitable. It should be admitted that the apple capital of Moldova is considered to be the town of Soroca, since the region of Soroca is No.1 in Moldova by an area of apple orchards.

The annual yield of apples makes up close to 228.8 thousand tonnes in Moldova, their average productivity being 4 t. per ha. Depending on the yield, 50% to 70% of apples are exported, 20% to 30% are processed and 10% to 20% are sold in the domestic market. According to foreign experts, apples occupy the third largest share in a total structure of the output of the agricultural sector of Moldova, giving up to grapes and milk only.

The total apple output in Moldova exceeds USD 87 million. Within the last 2 years Moldova exported close to 166.5 thousand tonnes of apples, or 70.1% of the total yield, at an amount of USD 50 million approximately. Close to 97% of the yield are exported to Russia.