Romania’s average wheat production to reach 4 t/ha in 2013, say traders

Romanian farmers will harvest on average some 4 tonnes of wheat per hectare this year, which will mean a good production level, said today Vasile Varvaroi, president of the Romanian Association of Traders in Agriculture Products (ARCPA).

He stressed that this is an estimation at national level and large farmers who use modern technologies will report above the average yields.

Members of ARCPA include Alfred C. Toefer Romania, Agricover, Ameropa Grains, Bunge, NideraRomania and Voest Alpine Intertrading. The traders refused to comment on acquisition prices but said that after last year levels reached EUR 240 – EUR 250 per tonne following the drought and reduced productions, in 2013 the levels are similar to the ones reported in 2011.

Romania’s Competition Council announced at the end of August that it was investigating 10 local grain traders for price-fixing. These companies are Agricover, Alfred C. Toepfer, Ameropa, Brise Agricultura, Brise Group, Bunge, Cargill, Glencore, Nidera and United Grain.

Should it be proved that competition rules were broken, the 10 traders risk fines of up to 10 percent of their turnover.

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This investigation took place after president Traian Basescu previously said that the local grain trading market is dominated by 4-5 international players. He added that this situation should be investigated by the Competition Council as the difference between acquisition prices is very low – a euro per tonne.

Simona Bazavan