Home

About us

Structure

Initiatives

Events

15 UAP Members
Agricultural Producers’ Associations (APA)

2000- private agricultural enterprises, ordinary members,
15000 - associate members of APA (physical persons),
720000 ha – size of lands farmed by ordinary members,
45% of the size of agricultural lands of the Republic of Moldova,
1700 - new jobs created,
19-Affiliated Structures of APA' s and Union
Last update 19.05.04

General Prezentation of UAP activities

About us

UNIAGROPROTECT - an organization leader

Privatization of collective farms’ land and property in 1997-2000 has led to the emergence of rural entrepreneurs in the Republic of Moldova. At the beginning of 2000, the grassroots movement of private farmers resulted in the creation of the first Agricultural Producers’ Associations (APAs) – non-governmental and non-political organizations meant to protect farmers’ interests. At the beginning of 2001, the APAs from all over Moldova have founded the Republican Union of Agricultural Producers’ Associations “UNIAGROPROTECT”.

Starting 2003, the Arbitration and Mediation Court, the Laboratory “AGROEXPERTIZA” and the Auditing Company “UNIAUDIT” were created within UAP to protect private farmers’ interests and rights.

To date, the Union includes 14 Associations from all regions of the Republic of Moldova. The associations provide a wide range of services to their members through a network of regional Business Centers and local branches. “UNIAGROPROTECT” is a non-governmental, non-profit and non-political organization.

The Union represents the interests of those 14 regional agricultural producers’ associations. As of March 2003, the APAs included approximately 1200 economic agents farming 600 thousand ha. Farmers, business cooperatives and agricultural enterprises join these associations in order to benefit from numerous services, such as assistance in marketing their produce. All regional association members farm more than half a million hectares of agricultural land. Private farmers cooperate in settling the problems faced by them. Their common concerns include commercialization of crops, understanding of the essence of taxation norms and accounting. Through its associations, the Union provides assistance in business cooperatives creation and strengthening, as well as in implementing advanced technologies.

Activities

With the financial and technical support of the Private Farmers Assistance Program (funded by the United States Agency for International Development, East-West Management Institute and Soros Foundation-Moldova), as well as with the consulting assistance of the Union, the Agricultural Producers’ Associations provide consulting and technical assistance to rural entrepreneurs in the following fields:

• business planning;
• accounting;
• identifying potential business partners;
• promoting export of agricultural produce;
• contracting agricultural inputs and produce;
• obtaining credits;
• settling disputes, including through arbitration procedure;
• creating and strengthening business cooperatives;
• implementing advanced technologies in agricultural production;
• promoting a positive image of rural private entrepreneurs;
• advertising the businesses.

The Union has the following main objectives:

• Settling the problems faced by agricultural producers in state institutions and jointly developing solutions that are favorable for farmers’ activity;
• Creating a unique marketing system;
• Consolidating efforts in negotiation of prices;
• Attracting investments and implementing new technologies in agriculture;
• Providing information and consultation support to rural entrepreneurs;
• Promoting a positive image of private agribusiness.

The associations provide services to their members through their network of 14 regional Business Centers and 22 local branch offices of the Business Centers. Another 30 branch offices are planned to be opened by the end of 2003. APAs also created a network of modern Machinery Service Centers providing machinery services to local entrepreneurs. Arbitration and Mediation Court, the goal of which is settlement of agriculture-related disputes, as well as the laboratory “AGROEXPERTIZA”, the Auditing Company “UNIAUDIT”, and the database on marketing function within the Union.

Union's management bodies

NEW PROJECT

Social Responsibility Initiative Click here for details.