Riscani District
Western border district in Südzucker's sugar beet supply chain; population dropped 26% (2014-24), Romania adjacent as EU accession approaches.
Rîșcani sits where Moldova touches Romania—the western border running along the district's edge. Südzucker's 2025 campaign included Rîșcani in the 7,388 hectares of sugar beet cultivation spanning Moldova's north, drawing the district into the German conglomerate's supply chain alongside Fălești, Florești, Glodeni, and Drochia. The chernozem soils that make this possible cover most of the district, producing yields that European precision agriculture techniques continue to optimize.
The population trajectory tells a different story than the soil fertility. From 59,226 in 2014 to 43,652 in 2024—a 26% decline that matches the national pattern of rural depopulation. The temperate-continental climate, with its 400-550mm annual rainfall and average 10°C temperatures, can sustain agriculture but cannot alone sustain communities. Bălți municipality to the southeast and Edineț to the north offer the closest urban employment, pulling workers from Rîșcani's 70 localities.
By 2026, Romania's border proximity may matter more than sugar beet contracts. Moldova's EU accession progress could transform Rîșcani from a peripheral district to a western gateway. The question is whether cross-border economic integration creates local employment or simply accelerates out-migration toward Romanian and broader EU labor markets.