Pavel Zingan, in an interview with Victor Scutaru, director of the Scutaru Victor peasant household, maib business customer.
Peasant households specialise in various fields. In which sector have you chosen to work?
Our family is dedicated to growing and exporting apples and cherries. In the north of Moldova, in the Edinet region, we have 60 hectares of super-intensive apple orchards and 10 hectares of cherry orchards. We have been in business since 2003.
How did you become one of the largest producers in the north?
Over time, we have planted our orchards. Initially, our business consisted of reselling apples from local producers. But at a point we were unsatisfied with the quality of the product, so we decided to grow our fruits. We bought 40 hectares of old orchard, uprooted it, planted new seedlings and started work on creating a modern orchard.
What is a 'modern' orchard?
It is an orchard that is protected from adverse weather conditions. It has a hail net, irrigation system and weather monitoring systems installed. By the way, in 2011, we installed the first agricultural weather station in Moldova. This super-intensive orchard has seedling resistance and much higher productivity than the old-type orchard. A modern orchard also means new varieties. Apples, cherries and other fruit varieties are constantly being improved, and new varieties of higher quality are being created with attractive appearances and, of course, better taste.
A modern orchard means using the latest technology. For example, we have installed solar panels for the irrigation system, a significant money-saving measure.
What varieties do you cultivate?
We grow several varieties of cherries- Regina and Cordia. We also have about 10 varieties of apples. Most are autumn-winter varieties for storage. These include Gloucester, Idared, Campion, Gala Devil, Gala Shniga, Jonagold, and others.
Cultivating is just one of the processes. What other activities are part of your workflow?
We are responsible for the whole cycle, from harvest to export, when the fruit reaches the buyer. In 2010, we put a 2000-tonne refrigerator into operation, providing us with space for the long-term storage of apples and cherries in proper conditions. We also have a sorting line.
Do you export 100% of your harvest, or does part of it is for the local market?
Approximately 10% of the harvest remains for the local market.
Where do you export?
In Romania, Belarus, and the Russian Federation, a small part of the harvest goes to the European market, and lately, we have been actively exploring a new direction- Asian countries. This promising market is also very demanding of quality and taste standards, so we are improving to meet the necessary standards.
You have more than 20 years of experience in agriculture. What advice would you give to farmers who are just starting?
I recommend they stay current on the latest agricultural technologies and implement them as quickly as possible in their work. Update the varieties of crops you grow. It's worth paying attention to those in demand in the region's prospective markets. Always invest in agriculture and not be afraid to borrow or participate in various programs and grants to support farmers.
Implementing almost all of our major projects has been possible thanks to maib loans.
How long have you been working with maib?
Even before establishing the peasant household, we have been a maib customer since 1995 and plan to work with them in the future. All our loans are approved quickly and easily. We always know who is supervising us and who to contact if further questions arise. In almost 30 years of working with the bank, neither we have complained about their work, nor maib has had any problem with us.
For what did you get your first loan?
We got it for a refrigerator in 2009. The loan terms were as fair and convenient as possible, so we chose maib without hesitation. The most recent loan was taken out to purchase solar panels for the fridge. The panels were installed in January of this year, and we await the first results.
What are your plans for 2024?
We will install a hail net on 6 hectares in a young super-intensive orchard to protect the crop from bad weather. A few years ago, we uprooted 14 hectares of an old orchard and planned new plantings there, but military operations in Ukraine prevented us from carrying out our plans. We hope this year, we will return to the plan and be able to implement it.
