Development of sour cherry production in the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

Sour cherries represent one of the most important Moldovan fruits grown in the Republic of Moldova, with a great potential for modernization and further development of production. There is noticed a slow grow in terms of surface, as well as production and averge yield per hectare for sour cherries. At the same time, exports account for about 19% of the total production. Compared to world exports, sour cherry production in the Republic of Moldova possesses a very high Revealed Comparative Advantage index. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to carry out an analysis of sour cherry production in the Republic of Moldova, to analyze the current situation, development trends as well as the degree of international competitiveness for the given product with respect to the world trade. Thus, the research methods selected and used for the given article refer to the analytical, descriptive, comparative method, as well as through the Revealed Comparative Advantage indicator. Although the demand for sour cherries is increasingm, there are some existing issues in the field that need to be addressed in order to have a successful horticultural business. At the same time, the paper presents a specific argumentation for the existence of a development potential of this sub-sector in order to persuade farmers to get engaged in this specific activity.