Moldova's Farmers' Force urges reintroduction of import licensing for Ukrainian cereals

The association Forța Fermierilor has asked Moldova’s Commission for Exceptional Situations to urgently restore a licensing system for imports of cereals and oilseeds from Ukraine. The group says Ukrainian grain and oilseed prices have fallen 30‑40% after export blockades at the Odesa port, and that traders are buying Ukrainian wheat at 1.6‑1.8 lei per kilogram. It warns that large‑scale imports could flood the Moldovan market, push farmgate prices down, and jeopardise farmers already facing high input costs and no subsidies. The association also cautions that Romania, which applies its own licensing for Ukrainian agri‑products, could suspend imports of Moldovan agricultural goods if transit is not tightly controlled. Citing a 2023 precedent where licensing stabilised the market, it calls for strict transit controls, including sealing trucks and weighing cargo at border points.