Drochia District
German Südzucker produces 56% of Moldova's sugar here since 2001; 80% chernozem soil, 11,168 private farms feeding integrated processing.
In 1830, Drochia was 25 families. By 1847, a grape-processing plant became the town's first industrial enterprise, establishing a pattern that would define the district: agriculture transformed through processing. When German sugar giant Südzucker arrived in 2001, purchasing facilities in Drochia, Alexandreni, and Fălești, the pattern scaled dramatically. Südzucker-Moldova now produces 56% of national sugar output, employing thousands in a district of 57,000.
The 80% chernozem coverage makes this northern district ideal for sugar beet and corn, but it's the integration of growing with processing that creates economic density. Of the 13,767 businesses registered here, 11,168 are private farms—smallholders who supply the processing facilities rather than exporting raw commodities. Furniture manufacturing, packaging, and machinery have clustered around the anchor of sugar production. A 230-year-old wooden church, an ostrich farm, and a cheese factory producing aged varieties have been designated as agro-tourism destinations, suggesting a post-industrial identity waiting in the wings.
By 2026, Südzucker's EU parent company may face decisions about Moldovan operations as the country's accession negotiations progress. Sugar production sits at the center of EU agricultural policy debates, and Drochia's economic fate depends on whether Moldova's largest sugar producer views accession as opportunity or compliance burden.