The Mihai Eminescu Trust foundation, under the patronage of Prince Charles - the heir to the British throne - will develop, in the next two years, a project worth CHF 250,000 (some EUR 200,000) in the Romanian Malancrav village, in Sibiu county.

The project, called Sustainable agriculture in disadvantaged areas of Romania: conservation and exploitation of fruit varieties project is co-financed by a grant from Switzerland through the Swiss contribution to European Union enlargement. This grants amounts to some CHF 220,000, the rest of CHF 30,000 coming from the Mihai Eminescu Trust foundation.

“The Malancrav orchard (in picture), which appears in records as far back as 1305 AD, includes a wide variety of apple, pear, plum, and walnut trees, as well as diverse flora and fauna. Especially the apples, are old, local varieties, with great historical and economical value. Like many orchards in the region, the Malancrav orchard is also threatened by the aging of trees, insufficient regeneration, loss of interest for traditional fruit growing methods and lack of resources,” reads a statement of the organization, quoted by local news agency Mediafax.

Through this project, the organization aims to turn the cultivation of local fruit varieties and traditional agricultural practices into sustainable activities generating incomes for the rural communities. Moreover, the villagers will have the opportunity to gain the necessary knowledge for fruit growing.

Prince Charles, who has been visiting Romania regularly since 1997, started buying properties in rural Romania, restoring them and turning them into guesthouses. The property at Viscri is one of the best known.

The Prince is a supporter of Romania, having recently appeared in a documentary called Wild Carpathia, and should appear in another episode of the documentary series about Romania.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Mihai Eminescu Trust on Facebook)