Romania becomes a major grain producer and exporter in the EU

Romania consolidates its position as a major producer and exporter of cereals in the European Union as it registered good crops during the last couple of years.

Last year, Romania was the third producer of cereals in the EU, after France and Germany, with 31.2 million of tonnes.

The eastern European country is now the biggest producer of corn and sunflower seeds within the EU, with total output of almost 19 million tonnes of corn and 3.35 million tonnes of sunflower seeds, according to Agerpres.

Due to larger output, Romania’s export of cereals rose last year by 1 million tonnes up to 12 million tonnes, a record level, and the value of cereal exports was EUR 2.2 billion.

Rising food import

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Despite larger cereal output, Romania has registered last year an all-time high value of food imports on higher domestic demand.

In 2018, Romania imported food and live animals of EUR 6.07 billion, up 2 percent against 2017, while exports rose by 3.6 percent up to EUR 4.2 billion, according to fresh Eurostat data.

The Romanian agriculture sector recorded its best results in history last year, with record yields for wheat, maize and sunflower.

The total grain harvest in 2018 – about 31 million tons – ranks Romania on the third place in the EU but first for maize harvest for the second year in a row.

Eurostat data show that Romania ranks third in the EU, after France and Germany, in cereal production, with 31.89 million tons.