The minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, informed Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski in July of this year that extensive areas in Romania are affected by drought and requested the European Commission, through a letter sent on August 7, to grant urgent compensation in view of the significant losses caused to farmers, states the Ministry of Agriculture.

The institution’s reaction follows the statements of some Romanian MEPs, according to which they requested European funds to support farmers and Romanian communities affected by the drought.

In this context, the Ministry of Agriculture states that Florin Barbu informed the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski as early as July 15, 2024, within the AGRIFISH Council, that extensive areas in Romania are affected by drought, the loss of income of agricultural producers endangering the economic viability of the farms and the security interests of the country.

According to MADR, the estimated total budget of a maximum of 75.2 million euros for crops established in the fall of 2023 must be urgently reimbursed to farmers.

„In this sense, MADR considers that it is necessary that the entire amount can be paid to the affected producers, based on a single community legal act that includes technical rules and sources of financing both from the European Union and additional national aid. Also, the spring – summer of 2024 was characterized by a massive lack of precipitation, due to a higher than usual temperature regime in almost the entire country, even particularly high in the plain areas. These phenomena affected up to compromising crops planted in the spring of 2024, especially corn and sunflower, on an estimated area of about 2,000,000 ha at the national level. It is estimated that the average unit value of the losses is 200 – 230 euros/ha,” the point of view transmitted by MADR reads.

AGERPRES