Drought causes 1.5-1.8 bln euros in losses for Romanian farmers: federation president

BUCHAREST, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) — This year’s drought has caused 1.5-1.8 billion euros (1.67-2 billion U.S. dollars) in losses to Romania’s agriculture, severely affecting 2.5 million hectares of crops, said Ionel Arion, president of the Pro Agro National Federation on Wednesday.
Approximately 40 percent of the nation’s wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower fields have been devastated, Arion was quoted as saying by local business daily Ziarul Financiar.
Despite the government offering 500-600 million euros (555-666 million dollars) in compensation, the funds fall significantly short of covering farmers’ basic losses.
Arion said the costs of growing a hectare of crops range between 800 and 1,200 euros (888 and 1332 dollars), while the compensation only equals 200-230 euros (222-255.3 dollars) per hectare.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development estimates that the losses span approximately 2 million hectares nationwide, with another 330,000 hectares of autumn crops, including wheat, barley and rapeseed, also severely impacted.
As the damage assessments continue, there are growing concerns that the total losses could increase further, potentially leading to more food imports and increased costs for consumers.
Meteorologists forecast that the heatwave will persist, worsening the already dire situation for Romanian farmers.
The Pro Agro National Federation, established in 2012, represents and advocates for the interests of Romanian agriculture, food industry and related sectors through 17 affiliated professional organizations at the national and European levels. ■