line). All of the company’s 3,800 ha is certified organic or in conversion putting AMG on second position of largest organic companies in Moldova after the Transnistrian Rostan. The organic walnut production of 780 ha (only Moldovan varieties) is the second largest walnut plantation in Moldova. Future plans are to extend it to 2,000 ha. On 50 ha, AMG Kernel produces walnut seedlings for the local market as well as for export. The company converted its system of field crop production to low-till and strip-till to prevent soil erosion. AMG Kernel also has BioSuisse certification (in addition to the EU standard). Fernuci SRL is another large organic walnut producer. The company in Ciuciulea, Glodeni District, is owned by an Austrian, Robert Sporschill, and his Moldovan business partner, Olga Petrovski, who built it from scratch in 2011. Contrary to other main producers, Fernuci planted American (Chandler) and French varieties (Fernor and Franquette) which the company got registered into the State variety list. An own nursery sells organic seedlings to other growers. On 200 ha of own land, 115 ha of dripirrigated walnuts have already been planted. Fernuci targets the high-end market in Europe and employs 90 workers from the local village for manual shelling – becoming the second largest employer in the area. To guarantee yearround employment, Fernuci is shelling walnuts from France when the own harvest is processed. Monicol SRL, established in 2001, is a supplier of both conventional and organic walnuts, dried plums and distillates. For Moldovan consumers, the company only makes conventional products available (brand “Fruit2go”). Monicol is EU and NOP organic certified by the German CB Kiwa BCS. Its organic plantation comprises 436 ha of walnuts, 60 ha of hazelnuts, 64 ha of plums, 13 ha of pears and 11 ha of peaches (Kiwa BCS, personal communication). Conventional products are made from raw material purchased from local farmers and people collecting walnuts from shelterbelts. Since 2004, Syrian-owned Maestro Nut SRL has been major player in the production, processing and exporting of organic walnuts. The
total certified surface is 2,000 ha and represents the largest organic walnut plantation in Moldova and Europe. In addition, the company buys conventional walnuts from small local producers. Shelled nuts are exported to the EU, Middle East, USA, Russia and China. Products of Maestro Nut carry certification against EU, NOP, BioSuisse, Kosher and Halal standards. The daughter company Maestro Fruits SRL was founded in 2016 dealing with the production of dried apples and apple chips. The company is certified by Bio.inspecta for its nuts and apples and by CERES for all wild collection activities. After he planted a 10 ha organic certified hazelnut orchard and learned the principles of hazelnut cultivation with the help of Italian consultants, Alexandr Perjan opened a company in 2018 together with several partners: Euro Alun SRL which supplies hazelnut seedlings from Italy to growers in Moldova with the ultimate aim of marketing larger lots of hazelnuts either with an organic or other quality management certificates. By 2030, the Euro Alun wants to see 1,500 ha of hazelnuts established of which 50% shall be certified organic. Until 2020, 24 customers of Euro Alun have established in total 250 ha. 5 years of free consultancy are included in the price for the seedlings. Founded in 2017 by Violeta Primac, Natur Perpetua SRL is producing organic certified sea buckthorn on 26 ha near Balti. The company is certified by Certificat-Eco against the Moldovan organic regulation and by CERES against the EU standard. Planted varieties are mostly Romanian which were registered in Moldova: Clara and Mara. The company sells frozen berries mostly in bulk to European buyers, but also some to Moldovan processors. The year of the pandemic 2020 has been an exceptional good year with great demand and high prices. Since 2003, the UK citizen Robert Ethrington (Resendjer SRL) has been growing organic lavender in Moldova. He delivers only to the German cosmetics manufacturer Weleda and expects Demeter certification in 2021. With about 15 employees, over 4 t of lavender oil are produced from 140 ha of certified and another 50 ha of in-conversion lavender in Minceni (Rezina District). |9
