Floarea Soarelui, a leading oil producer in Moldova, was forced to suspend production due to insufficient sunflower seeds imported from Ukraine, which are subject to licensing. This was reported by the company's director Stella Ostrovetska, emphasizing the problems with obtaining an import license, which was not received in January 2024.

According to Ostrovetska, Floarea Soarelui is capable of processing more than a thousand tons of sunflower seeds per day, but production was suspended due to the lack of the necessary volumes of raw materials. This also led to the suspension of other enterprises, including the plant in Balti and Danube Oil in Giurgiulesti.

According to experts, there are about 100,000 tons of sunflower seeds left on the Moldovan market, but some farmers refuse to sell, hoping for higher prices in the summer.

The Farmers' Power Association says that there is sunflower on the market, but certain companies, such as Trans-Oil, are trying to dictate their terms and prices. Floarea Soarelui denies this, claiming that it offers prices in line with market realities.

The Moldovan government has decided to extend the licensing of imports of wheat, corn and sunflower seeds for another 3 months in order to maintain stable prices for local grain products on the domestic market. This decision is aimed at preserving economic stability and ensuring the interests of local farmers.

However, the problem of unstable supply of raw materials remains relevant for processing companies and requires a comprehensive approach from the government and the business community to find a solution. Currently, oil producers in Moldova are looking for alternative sources of raw materials and are working on mechanisms to stabilize the market.