Romania’s 2011 agriculture output up 8.9 percent on good weather

The local agricultural industry generated RON 76.5 billion last year (approximately EUR 18 billion) up 8.9 percent against the previous year, according to preliminary data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

The growth was generated by a 12 percent higher crop output which totaled some RON 54.11 billion (approximately EUR 12.8 billion) while animal output increased only by 0.8 percent to RON 21.8 billion (approximately EUR 5.1 billion) and agricultural services decreased by 4.6 percent to RON 0.54 billion (approximately EUR 0.12 billion).

Overall, the structure of the agriculture output remained relatively stable compared to the previous year said INS. Crop output represented 70.8 percent of the industry’s total output, animal output covered 28.5 percent and agriculture services represented 0.7 percent.

Looking at the crop output, cereals and potatoes had the highest share – 36.4 percent and 12.2 percent respectively. Cereals grew their share by 11.6 percent and potatoes by 2.2 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year.

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Crop output at the mercy of the weather

Good weather conditions were the main factor responsible for last year’s crop output, making 2011 one of the best agricultural years in the past decade for the local economy, pundits say.

Weather conditions are also mainly responsible for this year’s production, only that this time around farmers and authorities alike are talking about considerable losses instead of record productions.

Bad weather conditions are estimated to have compromised so far more than a third of the local corn production and the wheat output is expected to decrease by at least 20 percent y-o-y. And the situation can worsen even more if it doesn’t rain.

Local farmers however hope to recover some of the loss as global prices surge after weather wreaked havoc in some of the world’s most important food producing regions.

Simona Bazavan